Alpha, Not Beta
by Kandescent Shades-13
Summary: Kirito always took gaming seriously, but now Virtual Reality stops him from seeing the real world. Led by a selfish ambition he wishes to escape the death game of Sword Art in order to see his sister again. Arrogant, selfish, and not exactly fit for responsibility, he leads the life as the only Alpha in this game. The best. But what if being the best isn't enough?
1. Fall of Midnight

**A/N Hi guys! It's my first time coming into the Sword Art fandom. I've wanted to do this for a while ever since I finished watching the anime and of course waiting eagerly for Gun Gale. I also read some of the novels which were REALLY good and were worth going back into the story picking up extra details they left out in the anime. I recommend you do read the translations of the light novels. But anyhow, this I hope will be a successful first endeavor into an SAO fanfic. I do have another fanfic in another series which I have procrastinated to no end but hopefully I'll get the motivation sometime to finish it. Finally, please enjoy!**

"Onii-chan I'm off for practice!" Called my 'sister' Suguha.

She had slightly longer black hair than I did, almost reaching her collar bone. Her bangs were evenly cut and she wore two silver hairpins and the typical Japanese schoolgirl outfit with a black skirt with a white rim and a gray sweater with a green ribbon. Her eyes were a color of blue emerald.

A stark contrast to my eyes. While hers were filled with life my black eyes represented a dark veil in which I hid myself away. I noticed this a while ago, but I had been distancing myself from her, and I felt extremely guilty.

How did I escape this feeling? The only thing I felt that understood me. Gaming.

"Good luck!" I called back. "See you later..." I said, not knowing I would be hurt by those words later on.

I turned on my NerveGear, which was helmet that connected you to virtual reality. In this day and age it was a recent innovation made possible by Argus, a company run by a brilliant man named Kayaba Akihiko.

I admired him and read all his interviews in the gaming magazines and anything related to virtual reality. He got me really interested in this area of the business world. Immersing yourself into this fantastic realm was called a 'FullDive'.

Back about 2 or 3 months ago, there was a beta test for a particular game called, 'Sword Art Online'.

Catchy. The description was also quite appealing. Essentially it was a real-time melee-based RPG with no magic attacks and limited range moves. It was a bold decision as magic was a pretty staple feature in any fantasy MMO. I was lucky enough to be admitted as one of the 1000 beta testers when I submitted my application.

When I stepped in, I had never imagined before a world that felt so real. The graphics were so realistic you could mistake it for reality if not for the obvious HUD dispersing the immersion. But aside from that, I felt, how should I put it... Alive.

Fine, that's pretty pathetic and expected to be said of a computer/gamer addict like me, but that was the truth. And wasn't everyone entitled to place they feel like they belong? I don't know how long I spent on the game, but I knew how often I would re-enter it after the first encounter.

I tried to everything I could in the game. From quests to duels to simply staring at the scenery. Subconsciously, I knew it was really a problem, though. I had already been distancing myself from myself family, specifically my 'sister'. But when you're living for the moment, you kind of forget everything. At least for a while... admittedly I wished a while could last forever. But that's not the story.

After all the necessary preparations in setting up the game, I lied down on my bed. I saw the news a bit earlier on a livestream on one of my three desktops about the last copies of the game getting sold out. I'll bet they felt just as excited as I was. However, unlike most casual gamers, I was taking this very seriously.

The game greeted me with the typical 'Welcome to such and such', before directing me to a login screen. I entered my previous account that I had created in the beta testing. And in a few seconds, I was back to the world I so dearly missed. At least, I felt that way for the first few hours.

* * *

"It feels good to be back in this world." I mused to myself. All around me were thousands of players logging in, most for the first time. I was in the central area of the starting town. I was surrounded in a wide array of people and a mix of details and colors. The towns looked real as ever (I heard the designers based it off of real architecture as well). There were stalls and shops, weapons of many kinds, texture of many sorts and even domestic animals to add to the scenery.

But it might as well have been all colored gray to me. I was only interested in my main reason in being here. To become the best, the strongest player.

There was a promotional poster for SAO before release. I would only realize the cold, hard truth behind it later. Scavenge. Slay. Survive.

Three simple rules. Actions typical to be expected of any MMO. I focused on the first two. The last one was the hardest for me to uphold to. In the beta, I can't recall how many times I died. 100 or so?... That's not to say I suck at gaming or anything, any respectable player would want to defend their gamer cred. But it was mainly because I took major risks in the way I played. I wasn't needlessly reckless, I only gambled on endeavors that would prove worthwhile in the reward. I estimated I had a 60% success rate or so. More than half a chance for overall success. That was good enough and all I needed. Then again statistics are just numbers. You can either let the system decide the outcome or you can do something about it.

I rushed through the crowded pathways with no regard to anyone else. I kind of knew this place well just like if you play GTA long enough. There was no need for a map until I got lost, but me being a stubborn, kind of arrogant player, I would rarely admit that and usually would continue to wander around getting even more lost until I figured my out and memorized the new uncharted territory so I wouldn't get lost again in the same place. But let's face it, you won't always have Google maps to help you, might as well map it out yourself, right?

I would've been on my way with nothing in my path for a good few hours of solo grinding and farming except someone called out to me.

"Hey you! Wait up!" Said a voice behind me.

Out of curiosity I stopped. I turned around to see a guy, probably in his twenties, with pink hair, a red and yellow(Gryffindor-themed perhaps?) bandana and the basic leather armor everyone was equipped with at the start. Although I looked similar in outfit except for a blue-sleeved shirt instead of white, I could tell he wasn't on the same level as me.

He was panting slightly. Out of shape?... Maybe, but that would be pretty rude to say out loud so I waited for his response.

"You look like you've been here before. Were you in the beta testing?" He asked expectantly.

_Spot on... for a new guy, I guess. _I couldn't deny that. Maybe I had been running with too much confidence. Or to put it humorously I forgot to turn my sw g off.

"Uhm... well yeah." I said sheepishly. In all the conversations I've had, they usually didn't last very long. Not that I couldn't say something funny or interesting, but I guess I never really got into a talk with anyone. Not anymore, at least. Not since I distanced myself from my 'sister'.

"This is my first day here. Show me the basics, ok?" The stranger asked.

_Pretty bold move. _I thought to myself. I honestly had better things to do than teach a newbie but, for some reason I didn't decline.

"Well... sure I guess."

"Really? Awesome! My name's Klein," He said in a proud manner.

"It's Kirito, nice to meet to you." I said.

_Not really, but maybe I should change things up. Pairing up might be more efficient in this case._ I thought, but as I did a small feeling of guilt consumed me.

_Efficient? Is that all there is to it for me? To use other people?_ I dismissed these thoughts trying to forget them.

* * *

"UGUHAAA!" Shouted Klein as he was headbutted in the crotch by a frenzy boar. I would put it more delicately but it was pretty funny. I resisted the urge to shake my head in amusement and to facepalm. Instead I called out to him:

"You're kidding right? Come on get back up. You can't hope to achieve anything like that." I said successfully keeping the patronizing tone out of my voice. Hey, it's pretty painful to watch if you're a veteran at MMOs. I had harsher words to say but I guess everyone kind of starts out like this. Well, kind of. Not with an embarrassing accident like that, though.

"Oh right. It doesn't actually hurt. Still, this is frickin' difficult!" Klein exclaimed. A response to be expected of a newbie. But I was once one too I guess... I just don't remember... maybe I learned quicker than most.

"It's alright to feel a little overwhelmed by the FullDive on the first few times. It just comes down to 'motion'. You have to make it natural." I said earnestly.

"Motion... motion." Klein repeated like a motif as though saying it enough times he would suddenly understand. I guess I just had to demonstrate.

"This game relies upon a system called, 'Sword Skills'. You can pretty much do it with any type of weapon, or even unarmed. Here take this rock for example," I said as I picked up said rock.

"You need to add a slight pause, then just let the system do the rest," I said and when the rock started to glow a pink aura, I threw it straight at the blue boar.

It hit straight on and angered it. It turned around to face me and I pulled out my sword from the sheath slung around my back. Not that I was trying to a ninja or anything but it just felt the most comfortable way to put on a sheath to me. And yes, I did feel kind of cool like that (Who wouldn't?)

"Ahhhhhh. I see now..." Klein said in a revelation and tried to mimic my movements.

"Of course, when you get enough experience you can be confident enough to manually activate Sword Skills without system-assistance. In other words, you can fight more freely to your own style, but there's nothing wrong with using the system, even though the moves may get... predictable," I said on a quieter note. I tried not to sound like a know-it-all. Fortunately, Klein wasn't seasoned enough to notice the slight hint of condescension in my voice.

The boar tackled me head-on but I countered it with the flat side of my Small Sword. I then directed its charging path to Klein, who this time, was prepared to face it.

"YEEEEAAAAAA!" He yelled and charged at it with a sword skill called «Reaver», a basic curved-sword attack. As the boar burst into hundreds of digital pieces a box interface appeared showing the results of the battle, depicting the EXP gained, items dropped and Col(currency) earned.

"Whooo! That was amazing!" Klein exclaimed exhilarated. Boy, he was sure easily satisfied. I smiled in a understanding way.

"Trust me, it gets watered-down real quick. The only times you should celebrate is against an actual boss or something as challenging," I said without sugarcoating a word.

"Ehhh?! Really? That wasn't a boss at all?" Klein asked with incredulity. I guess some people really are ignorant. What kind of games did he play when was a child exactly? Even casual players should at least know the basics. But I guess to each his own...

"No, if that were a boss, I'd be done with this game already. The boar you just killed was the equivalent of a slime in other RPGs, in other words, the lowest leveled opponent you could get. They don't get any weaker than that," I said truthfully.

_Of course, excluding certain other players... but that's another story, _I mused quietly.

"Wow. Guess I've got a long way to go," Klein said in dejected way. I felt a bit bad for bringing the truth upon him, but that's the way games like this were. You have to do a lot, and I mean an **awful **lot of constant grinding and farming in order to amount to anything in an RPG. I should know after playing so many other games. It takes a lot to be good, let alone be the best. But for me it's possible. And I'm going to make it possible. No. Matter. What. In other words, 'I wanna be the very best, like no one ever was.'

I must've been deep in thought because Klein punched me lightly on the shoulder.

"Hey, man, are you lagging?" He joked. I guess I must've looked overly serious for a bit. Going on my little tangent of being the future best.

"Yeah, I guess I'm just a little bored. Want to hunt some more?" I tried to feign enthusiasm. His eyes lit up and he nodded towards the fields where there were countless boars just like the one recently killed.

It was a good few hours, hacking and slashing our way through the fields. Every time we succeeded in defeating a boar, the message box would inform us of what we managed to salvage. Nothing good except for the obligatory XP and Col gained. Truthfully, I would've like to face more challenging opponents but seeing as we were both still level 1, I had no better idea but to carry on until we reached the next level.

* * *

"Whew! That was fun!" Klein said sitting down with his hands propped back, staring at the sunset. I have to admit no matter how many times I've seen it, it still looks beautiful. But it was undeniably just a emulation of the sun. And that made think of the times I used to spend with my 'sister' just watching the sunset. Sometimes I wished I was an only child... that's a horrible thing to say, but I guess I felt guilty enough to want to remove that feeling by removing the source of it... and not only that, but I felt guilty because I was indebted to my sister, and I never really appreciated what she did for me. Maybe I should try to repair our relationship someday... someday when I have more courage, and for God's sake a little more tact.

"Yeah it was," I responded wistfully. I won't say it out loud, but it was actually nice to have someone around. Not only did we make good progress today, I actually had fun. I guess company isn't so bad. Still, I felt guilty for some reason.

"I'm beat. But it was worth it! I'm glad I was born in this generation!" Klein said and I couldn't help but agree. I was luckier than most to be able to experience such a thing like this.

"Yeah, that's true. Is this your first game on the NerveGear?" I asked. He nodded.

"Yep, and I'm glad this was my first game! I bought the hardware in a rush after getting the game. I'm lucky to have gotten a copy, then again you're infinitely luckier to have played the beta test!" He said admiringly.

"Lucky... I suppose that's a way to put it," I said wondering if I was really lucky when all this game did was just make me temporarily forget my problems in the real world.

"Anyways, it's pretty late. I guess I'll log out, but it was great to meet you, Kirito. I hope we can game together again," Klein said and I felt a little a bit better.

"Yeah, I guess we were both lucky, I'll see you later," I said repeating the words I used earlier and I felt a little saddened.

"I've got anchovy pizza and ginger ale waiting for me at 5:30! Oh, I forgot to mention but I'm meeting up with some friends later in another game, want to come?" Klein invited hopefully.

It was a tempting offer. For a normal person anyway... but me being the social shut-in and little bit emo, I had to decline. I just didn't know how to say it to his face with sounding like an asshole.

"Ahh... well I kinda..." I drifted off. I couldn't say it but I guess my expression did. He lowered his eyes in disappointment but then brightened up immediately.

"Nah, that's alright. You've done enough for me. Maybe another time?" Klein said with a revived hope.

"Yeah, maybe, sure," I said a bit reluctantly. To be honest, truthfully even hanging around one person for a few hours was personal achievement. However, I don't think I could handle being in such a group. You know what they say, two's a party, three's a crowd. Or maybe it's just me...

"I guess I'll be going."

"Til' next time. If you need to know anything else, just hit me up."

"You bet I will!" Klein said and offered a handshake in which I took. Earlier we had friended each other so we could message one another.

_So this is what being friends feels like..._ I thought to myself. I smiled inside my head. _It's nice._

Klein turned with one last wave of his hand as farewell. I watched him open up the menu by swiping his right hand with his index and middle finger together. Today had been I good day, it felt like it couldn't be ruined until-

"Hey, there's no log out button," Klein said confused. I immediately turned on a skeptical look.

_There is no way even you, Klein could be **that **ignorant, _I thought.

"Look closer, there's bound to be one," I said this time unable to keep the condescension out of my voice.

"Fine, you check then. Then tell me I'm wrong," he said in a defensive manner.

I did and was looking to prove him wrong but when I opened the menu, he was right.

The log out button wasn't there.

But that couldn't be. That's like having key but no keyhole...

In another situation, I would've laughed at that poorly thought analogy, but it wasn't the time for that. Instead I rapidly searched through every tab even finding features I never knew were there. It was apparently a nice 26 degrees Celsius.

However, after fruitlessly searching the menu I failed to find the log out button.

"That's weird, isn't it? Well I guess most releases do have bugs. Guess we just have to wait for the GMs to fix it, right?" Klein said looking for confirmation.

I nodded. But truthfully I didn't agree. There was no way a genius like Kayaba Akihiko would overlook a huge mistake in not putting a log out button in the menu. No it really seemed impossible... unless...

I never got to finish this thought. A bell in the distance was ringing. However, it didn't sound pleasant. At the same time, both Klein and I were enveloped in bright blue light.

When it disappeared, we appeared back in the central plaza along with thousands of other players all with the same expressions of confusion.

"Hey! What gives?" Klein said surprised.

"It must have been a forced teleport," I said reasonably. I knew that much, now I wanted to know why.

Plenty of people around us were muttering things, others exclaiming that they wanted to log out for fear of being late to an appointment and such and such. Soon after, all of our attention was brought to a flashing shape in the sky. A red hexagon reading, 'Warning'.

Then it soon multiplied and the entire sky, or so it seemed, was covered in red hexagons reading either 'Warning' or 'System Announcement'. Then something similar to blood dripped down, but it didn't hit the ground, instead it converged like some viscous liquid in mid-air and formed a cloaked figure with no face.

By now everyone was thoroughly perplexed and even slightly shocked at the turn of events. I, however, started to grow suspicious, but even more so anxious. I waited like everyone else, and what I was about to hear changed reality. Or at least this one.

**_"Welcome players. My name is Kayaba Akihiko. From here on, I am the only one who can control this world."_**

_World? _ I thought as many exclaimed what he just said out loud.

**_"I'm sure almost all of you by now have noticed the absence of the log out button. However, I assure you, this is not a defect. It is an actual feature that makes Sword Art Online unique," _**he said in an ominous voice.

_What? _I couldn't comprehend what he just said. No log out... that's insane. Wouldn't that just detriment sales? What was he thinking?

**_"Also now, there is no way to respawn after you die. You're given only one life, which is the one you have now. Cherish it, for you may not have it for long."_**

_You're asking for it, buddy... I can't believe you're spewing this ridiculous crap... _I thought silently. I can't believe this is who my idol actually was.

**_"Simply put, if you die here, you will die in reality. There is a microwave chip that will activate if you die. And don't hold onto hope for help from the outside, for any attempts to remove the NerveGear or interrupting gameplay will result in the same end. Already, regretfully 213 players have died due to outside interventions by their own families. The government has also been informed as have the public media. I have given 2 hours for all logged into the game to be moved to hospitals and such institutes in order to be taken care of while you are all here. I think it is safe to say now that the danger has been decreased to a minimum and you can focus on the game. There is only one means of escape..." _**He said this in voice of finality after he displayed the grim news of the recent deaths on large digital monitors.

**_"In order to log out of the game, you must traverse all 100 floors and beat every last boss. If even one of you manages to do this, I will set you all free. Also, I have a gift for all of you. Please check your inventories now."_**

We did and there was a peculiar item. An object labelled, «Mirror».

In an instant everyone was surrounded in blue light similar to teleporting. However, we didn't get teleported away, instead, it seemed as though nothing happened. Until-

"Hey, who are you?" Asked a new voice. I turned around where Klein should've been. Instead there was this new person. But then I looked into the mirror.

It was me.

The real me, with the really feminine-looking face and long(for a boy)black hair that fell to chin-length. I was surprised and then I came to realize that Kayaba Akihiko forced us into the open by using our real bodies as avatars.

_Talk about invasion of privacy, _I thought. I didn't look ugly or anything but I always thought that I looked like such a girl. I might as well have been if I had longer hair, curves, and two X chromosomes...

_**"You must be asking yourselves this question: Why? Why would I, Kayaba Akihiko, creator of NerveGear and SAO do such a thing? The truth is I have already realized a world in which I have created and can control. I wish you the best of luck players, and this concludes the official tutorial for Sword Art Online,"** _he ended with a dark note.

There was silence for a moment. All of us just barely registering what he just said. If you die here, you actually die in real life.

It sounds stupid, I know, like some contrived idea for a new franchise. It wasn't exactly an original idea, but when it's met with reality, that's different.

Nobody just plays with death and expects a laugh out of it. Unless of course, if you were that sick. However, I still had questions I wanted to ask.

Why?

That was the simplest thing that came to mind. Why would a genius like Kayaba Akihiko do this? He must be mad. He must've realized he would hunted down for this... but maybe, just maybe, he was one of **those** people.

I never I'd live to see it but_..._

_Some men just want to see the world burn..._

Or so I led myself to believe. It was hard to accept this, but with what I just saw, there's the proof. This no longer a game.

The guilt that was building inside me felt like it would kill me, but it also gave me a reason to fight. A drive, a strength to enable me to take action. But it was blinded by selfish motive... I guess that's just being human.

It did not take long for chaos to ensue, there was yelling, crying, curses being thrown, insanity creeping up on people. There's was nothing I could do about that. But I knew what I could do.

I weaved through the crowd Assassin's Creed style over to Klein. I grabbed his shoulder roughly.

"We need to get out of here. There's no use just standing around. Follow me," and without waiting for a reply I took off, listening to his steps behind me.

In the mass of the confusion, I took advantage of the disarray. Selfish, I know. But it was much more efficient than to stand around. Might as well get ahead of the game.

"Listen," I said as we stopped at an empty pathway. The sun was setting and there was beautiful tinge of color in the sky. Ironic. It did nothing more than to mock our situation, giving me all the more reason to swear revenge.

"I'm heading off to the next town. The West Field will probably be swarmed soon and the Town of Beginnings will be picked clean if we don't hurry. In this type of 'game', getting stronger is the only way to survive. I get us to the destination even at level 1. Come on," I said with cold determination. Surprisingly, however, he shook his head.

"Look, Kirito. I appreciate the fact that you mean well, but I have friends back there. They're probably scared, confused and shocked right now. I can't just leave them behind, even though your way will probably ensure a better survival rate. I'm sorry, but I can't follow you. But hey! You should come with me! I was the leader of my old guild, you become a new member! Then we'd be 7 men strong!" Klein offered eagerly.

_Tempting... if I was a normal person. But that's not how I play. _I know what he was saying was reasonable, but I guess you could call it arrogance and bad habit that I didn't really go along with other people. Not that I couldn't, the time I spent with Klein in the West Field was proof of that. However, I just didn't feel comfortable among most people. It was an insecurity I created due to isolating myself in the real world. But it was also a wall I built to protect myself. I mean, if you're alone, you don't have to deal with the complications with being with others... but at the same time, you miss the company and the possibilities. But that was a price I was willing to pay. Often, emotions just get in the way of the objective. Ironic how _my _objective was driven by an emotion, but that was beside the point. I never really thought about it before, but did I value the ends over the means?

_It doesn't matter. It's about making a difference. _A voice in my head said.

_Yes, it does, otherwise, what's the point? _Argued another.

_Curse my thoughts... _I said in my head. But back to the current problem.

I sighed. Five... no even one more person would make things difficult. I had no time to establish acquaintances with new people. I don't want to say it out loud but working as a group tends to get in my way. First of all, I wouldn't have free reign over all my decisions. People would critique my strategies, judge my style, question my personality, and eventually there would be a rift that would render the point of being a team useless. So you see, I thought it out a long time ago. I'm ultimately better off on my own. It's not as though I deserve to have a team anyway... let alone a friend...

"I'm sorry, Klein. But for my own reasons, I can't join you," I responded bitterly. He looked of the utmost disappointment.

"Nah, it's alright. I kinda saw the answer in your eyes. Still... rejected by you twice in one day? That's funny, if not for the current predicament... Good luck, Kirito. I hope you find your own way," Klein said in a bittersweet manner. I felt a small hint of guilt but that was overruled by a secretive feeling of relief.

_At least I have no one else to worry about now, I don't have the time to waste... _

"Then I guess this is goodbye. See ya around... Klein," I said in a quiet, faraway type of voice. A subconscious part in the back of my mind protested but I shut that though out. I turned away, and I never looked back. Truthfully, I didn't want to see the look on my only friend's face that he had been abandoned by me. Selfishly, I was glad that I had nothing to hold me down and I could continue further with no hindrance.

I ran through the marketplace without caring for the scenery. I think I could hear the distant noise of everyone back in the plaza. Maybe some had come to their senses and started to take action.

_That won't do. Need to move faster. _I thought competitively. I couldn't allow someone to beat me so easily.

I know that's wrong to say in a death game like this, but an irreplaceable desire inside of me still wanted to be the best. If I wasn't the best, I couldn't prove anything. The entire reason I got into gaming in the first place was to feel like I belonged somewhere. Someplace that understood me when no other person could. And to feel satisfied that I could master something, and do what no one could. Call themselves the best, the greatest, the Invictus.

I reached the outside plains. The wind was rustling and fields were in an orange light. A lone wolf (how ironic) appeared in front of me. I pulled the sword from my back to kill it with «Sonic Leap», a basic lunging attack. As the blue arc swept past the wolf, leaving a large red mark, it exploded into thousands of small shapes.

_Is that what it'll look like if we die? _I wondered to myself apathetically. I refrained from using the word, 'when'. That would a little to grim, but undoubtedly I bet some of us would die. That's just unavoidable because it's just way of life. In a large scale of once 10,000 players, now a little less, there would bound to be those a cut above the rest, like me, the average people, and those would fail. It was the simple truth. If everyone were to survive, the world wouldn't be as difficult to live in, and we wouldn't be human. Humans were meant to be different. We couldn't all be as good as one another. In a messed up dystopia where everyone was meant to be the same, maybe, but not our reality. Everybody has to lead their own life. And so do I.

_I can't die here. I have to make it back. It's the only way I'll ever forgive myself. For everything. I'm sorry..._

_Suguha..._

**A/N Well there we go! I know it's not very exciting so far, but I felt the obligation to give a little background to the story. I promise it'll pick up a faster pace and more actual fanfic rather than basing it off of the light novel. I will deviate in many points and add some. I'm hoping not to ruin the overall feel of the story or the characters, but feel free to politely tell me if I do so. I'll consider it and maybe revise the later chapters but I'm hoping I don't need to do so. Anyways, please R & R and thanks for your time! **


	2. The Alpha, the Betas, and the Rest

**A/N Hi guys! I'm back with more for you! This time around things will definitely get better, as I will start to deviate more heavily and things get darker and more serious. Honestly, I loved the light novels and Reki Kawahara's narration and the anime adaption but I felt like that he skipped around the floors too much without giving details to many. I would've loved an episode for every floor if it were up to me. But regardless, I enjoyed both the novels and the anime. Anyways, happy reading!**

It wasn't even an hour since I had abandoned Klein.

I kept running on the designated path to «Horunka», the second town after the «Starting City». There were definite advantages to being a beta tester, and one of them was prior knowledge. There was a certain quest I wanted to complete and the reward would give me good head start on everyone else.

Selfish, I know, but then again, if I were to be the one to complete the game, that would benefit everyone wouldn't it? Admittedly that wasn't my first goal in mind to save everyone, it was just a given. I had the potential to become the best, end the game, free everyone, and hopefully when I got back, fix my relationship with my 'sister'.

There was no time to discuss the morality in which I followed so I continued running to the next town, all the while killing any hostile NPCs in my way. This allowed me to level up one and I gained health, skill points and money. I didn't bother checking what I obtained, there was time for that later. The important thing was to get to the quest ASAP.

I finally reached the town. I went into the weapon shop first. I had stocked up on raw materials earlier, so I had plenty to sell. To me, production skills were of lesser importance so I wouldn't waster my future skill slots on them. That's not saying I could never attempt trying to produce something myself, but it was riskier if you didn't put in the investment. There were supposedly an unlimited amount of skills. In the beta I remembered you gained a skill slot every five levels starting with level 1. So 5, 10, 15 and so on. I focused mainly on skills that would allow me a better combat advantage. I wasn't looking to become a tank player who relied too much on defense and would be very slow for my standards, nor was I willing to become a normal player who didn't really specialize in anything while maintaining a fair balance. I suppose I took the riskier route for trading defense for attack. Offense was the main way I would be advancing through the game. There probably wouldn't be a day I went without killing something(note: I'm not a sociopath).

There were many other skills and these were all divided into categories. General skills, combat skills, extra skills and even unique skills. The game classified combat related skills as, the 'Sword Arts'.

Catchy. But the reality was they would keep you alive, so it's best to take things serious.

After I bought a leather coat I went to the alchemy shop and bought as many health potions and antidotes as possible. I had no where near enough money for a teleport or warp crystal so that had to wait. I could've bought some light metal armor but that would honestly weigh me down. I centered my combat stats on attack, speed, and health. That was a good combination. If I could deal heavy damage, be able to escape danger, and had a ridiculous amount of health, I could outlast this game and win. I know doing this alone sounds impossible, but even one person can make a difference. I could do anything as long as I had strength. I can go the distance.

I went over into a private house. There was an old missus who offered me pot of soup. After a while, a golden question mark appeared above her head denoting a quest that could be undertaken. On instinct I accepted and she went into a long explanation of how her daughter was severely sick and not even the best medicine could cure her ailment. The illness could only be uplifted by acquiring a flower called «Little Nepent's Ovule» to be made into medicine.

I set off to find these plants and hope that my luck would allow me to finish this quest quickly without needlessly farming. I reached a certain part of the forest that was the spawning point for some Nepents.

Most were level 1 or 2, with cursor of red. The shade of color indicated how tough it was to kill it and also as a hint as to whether or not to fight it. This ranged from light pink(almost white) to purple, which was essentially suicide. If you were an average player anyway...

But I gave no regards to the level of the opponent. It was down to basics, all the same to me. As long as I have a means to win, I will fight. The only difference between every enemy is how long it takes to beat them.

I started up my fight by slashing at the weak points of the smaller meter-height plants. They did not have flowers on them, no, but the chances of one appearing increase along with how many you kill. So it wasn't all pointless. In the process of killing about ten or so, I gained enough XP to meet the requirements to level up. Now I was to level 3, the equivalent of the toughest Nepent. However, they were still marked with a purple cursor.

I allotted to spend my skill points on Strength and Agility. Two of my most important priorities. Health would just increase on its own. My other skill slot, aside from One-Handed Straight Swords, was «Searching». I chose this over «Hiding» because although both are useful, «Searching» allows you to improve on hunting while «Hiding» may not always work when facing certain enemies and situations. It was better on relying on a skill I knew would always work, so I saved «Hiding» for later.

After I finished up distributing my recently gained points, I heard a sudden noise... clapping?

I jumped a bit and turned around suspiciously staring at the source of the sound.

Another player. A boy no older than me albeit a little taller with slightly long brown hair.

"Sorry if I startled you. Congrats on the level up," he said. I liked praise although I didn't need it. I was still wary. Why was there another player here?

_I thought I had more time that this... That must mean he's a beta tester as well, _I concluded in my mind. Not bad for someone who wasn't me, but I had no time to waste with irrelevant chit-chat.

"Thanks, I guess... what do you want?" I asked directly in a rather rude way. I would be more polite but seeing as I had limited interaction with people, I really didn't care. Besides he interrupted my quiet solo time.

"I'm guessing you're here on that quest as well? I'm surprised, I thought I would get here first. But I guess you're pretty good at this game," he said in a more gracious manner than me brushing off the slight hostility I was emanating. Then he directed another question towards me.

"You must be beta tester too, right? Well I have a proposition. How about we work together on this quest? We can get it done quicker and get ahead of everyone. What do you say?" He said quite convincingly.

It was a tempting offer, but I wasn't going to let my guard down.

"Isn't this supposed to be one person quest?" I asked as a counterargument.

"True, but it can be done multiple times. You can get the first flower," he added. I suppose that was a fair deal. And if this was a one-time thing I could just forget it in the end.

"I... accept," I said without much conviction but it seemed to have won him over.

"Great. My name's Coper by the way," he added in a light manner. More friendly than I would ever be.

"It's Kirito," I said and turned my back and continues slaughtering all in front of me. Even the level 3 Nepent was no great difficulty for a veteran like me.

Coper and I continued this for a while, progressively moving deeper into the forest. Eventually we reached our goal, and I was able to obtain the flower.

"Got it!" I shouted out, signaling that our job was half-done. I suppose I owed him a favor for speeding up the process so I stayed to obtain the 2nd flower.

"Nice! I knew I could count on you, Kirito!" He said with a smile. A dark smile that is, in which I didn't see with my back turned.

* * *

We started to head back to the village after I obtained the second flower. I felt satisfied with what we accomplished. Maybe working in a team wouldn't be as bad as I thought.

That idea was quickly put out.

"Hey, Coper. You alright back there?" I called out. He had been quiet thus far on the way back and that was strange, contrasting with his initial approach.

"Coper?..." I asked quietly and slowly turned around. I saw him a little way back facing a Nepent. He faced me in a sideways glance.

"Sorry... Kirito," he said and he slashed the Nepent with «Vertical». Something burst in the distance.

_Shit._

Was the first thought I had. Coper just destroyed the «Seed» on a Nepent. There was a foul stench that filled the air. But I wasn't worried about the smell, I was worried about the effect.

Soon enough the area swarmed with dozens of Nepents and I was quickly surrounded. I was about to tell off Coper for being a fucking idiot but he was nowhere to be found. I had no choice but to face the oncoming threat.

Individually these plants had no chance against me. But I guess here is where strength in numbers really comes into effect. Had I been a few levels higher I could have attained sufficient skills to finish them all off, killing multiple enemies at one time, chain moves, and area-of-effect abilities. But seeing as I was still level 3, I had to face them one by one. This was gonna kill me... figuratively anyway.

I hacked and slashed all that I could, occasionally taking a hit from a vine from being unable to sidestep the attack. I don't know how many there were, but there were too many to just barge through, even with my agility.

_God damn it! Where is he when I need him? _I thought, but then a horrible realization came to me.

_Of course he's not going to help. He tried to... **kill me.**_

My eyes darkened and my mind went crazy with anger. So that's how he plays.

I further assumed Coper meant to surround me with enemies and hide away, so he could up the leftovers, more specifically the flowers I held. He must've wanted to use one for the reward and sell the other. It was smart I admit, but I would never go to such extents just to get ahead. Yes, I didn't really care for other players that much, but that didn't mean I walked around killing others because I can. Well, I guess such selfishness inspires others to do the same. In a way I kind of deserved it, but at least I had good intentions behind them. I really doubt he had similar reasoning to mine.

I was growing tired. Fatigue would not affect your health meter, but it would affect your overall performance. And I was slowing down, taking more hits than I should've.

I was losing hope. The endless waves were a depressing factor and fact that I was set up angered me for letting my guard down.

_I guess I should be more careful of who I trust,_ I thought quietly. Then I had an idea.

I smiled darkly and switched up my strategy.

I killed the current Nepent in my way and made a break for it. I used my «Searching» skill to find my target. Then instead of attacking, I ran past it.

"Sorry... Coper," I said.

The bushes I ran past rustled slightly. I think I could see his eyes flash in surprise. After stopping at a distance, I turned around to look at the oncoming threat. I made ready to face them, with my sword in my right hand held ready for a «Slant» attack.

But they didn't attack. Not me, anyway.

Instead they turned to the bushes and that forced a snake in the grass(well bush but same concept) out.

Coper.

He was now faced with my former predicament and found it difficult to keep the enemy at bay after being shocked out of hiding. He was faring much worse than me but that was expected of. People who use traps, indirect methods of fighting are often weaker when faced with actual fighting.

_I should help him, _I mused silently. _I_ **_should..._**

But 'should' is just an opinionated word. Why should I? He just showed his true colors. Still, the humanity in me cried guilt.

"Kirito! Help!" Coper cried. He looked desperate and I would've stepped in, but then...

What if he did the same thing again to me? Or even to someone else? I would be a fool to get deceived by the same trick twice. No, even with sincerity, I couldn't risk it. I guess I'd already made my decision when I diverted the danger to someone else.

«Hiding» was a good skill. However, it doesn't always work. In this case, I used it to my advantage. With high enough «Detection», you could dispel and render this ability useless. The Nepents proved this and I watched the result of faulty judgement.

_You can't hide from this game, Coper. You can only fight, and fight on til' it's over... guess it is over for you, though... _I thought and walked away slowly from the fight.

* * *

I didn't have to confirm it, but I'm pretty sure Coper died. It was as I evaluated earlier. Some are bound to die. It's not easy to accept but that's how it is. I felt guilty inside, but if the roles were switched, would he feel guilty? And even if he did, it wouldn't change what he did. It's all a matter of opinion, I guess. Some people who understand me for what I did just now, others would hate me to no end. But at the very least, it wasn't for nothing.

I re-entered the home of the old missus and gave her the flower. She was exalted with tears and gave me a lengthy word of appreciation. Finally she brought out my reward. The «Anneal Blade». Not only was this stronger than the initial Small Sword everyone started with, it was why I didn't get the Bronze Sword from the weapon shop back then. Not only was this blade stronger, it lasted longer and was more resistant. I replaced this sword with my initial one, selling it to the NPC shop. Not much, but at least something.

I continued walking while I pulled up the map. I suppose I should continue farming and grinding for better gear and more money. There's really not much else to do since nothing else interested me.

I started heading back to town.

_I need a place to stay. Some food and drink, too. A base to return to is always welcome, _I thought. I'd rather avoid wandering around if I could help it. It's also better to have some sort of system set up. It takes a little pressure and tension off my shoulders.

Guilt. That feeling seized my heart again.

_I didn't kill him... _I argued to myself. _I just... didn't save him..._

It felt wrong trying to justify what I did. But then again, an eye for an eye right?

I didn't really have another option, and even if I did, it would prove pointless if he were to turn against me again.

Still... I don't know if this technically counted as PKing. I didn't do it, I just caused it. Was that the same thing?

_Ugh... I really stress myself out. Shut up, brain, _I thought and with that I focused on the current objective. The guilt never went away, though.

* * *

I found a farmer and made a deal to rent out his house for the entire 2nd floor for 120 Col a night. It was a pretty good deal. A little more the inns but much better for just 20 Col more. 2 bedrooms, plenty of milk, a nice view and a bathroom. Subtle and decent.

I rested up on the bed nearest to the window. While staring outside I could see that the entire sky went dark. Well, it wasn't the 'sky' but just the bottom of the next floor. And there were 99 more to go. I sighed.

_99 problems and I'm still on the first one..._

There was no point in going out late at night. The risk was increased even the rewards may be raised. I was going to wait a few more levels before I started to hunt at night. It would be a while, but at least I could enjoy the view now and rest. Tomorrow was one step further to conquering this obstacle.

_And I will conquer it... no matter what it takes. I will be... *yawn*... no, I am the **best.**_**  
**  
And with that I fell asleep.

* * *

The next day was more or less the same. Since SAO was a pretty realistic game, it synchronized real time so I had actually gotten about 8 hours of sleep. I went to bed early in order to get up early.

6 on the dot. November 7th. A cool 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

I couldn't imagine what had to be happening in the real world right now. I suppose authorities must be trying to find Kayaba Akihiko and bring him to justice. However that gave me no comfort. If he was as mad as I thought he was, he wouldn't release us, even if they caught him.

There's was nothing I could do for now, except play the 'game'. I never really respected authority, and I hated the fact that I had no other choice but to do what he wanted.

I went outside into the forest. It was early for most people, so I thought I would at least be alone for a while. With that in mind, I took to hunting in peace.

I went deeper and deeper into the vast forest. However, since the floor is automatically mapped, I wasn't worried about getting lost. Certain areas of course, couldn't be mapped, but I hadn't run into the situation yet. Even for a crazed game creator, making the first level impossibly difficult would be unfair.

I encountered a variety of enemies. The Nepents from yesterday, wolves, boars, bees and even insects. I simply stepped on the small ones.

It was quiet aside from the constant swing of my sword and the occasional wind. I estimated it was, what, a straight hour hunting?

_Mhm... an hour closer to getting back home, _I hoped mentally.

I continued this until I felt tired. After the sun had risen up and all the forest was illuminated, I headed back to my rented 2nd floor. I rested for a while there before going out to buy food for I was hungry.

Hunger. Odd for a game. It wasn't exactly necessary, but it was necessary to satisfy if you didn't want to hinder your general performance. I suppose the game was designed to stimulate our senses for hunger, which was unaffected by the outside world. I couldn't imagine the hospitals would be force-feeding us so they must be inserting tubes and applying nourishment that way. It sounded weird, I know, but how else can you give nutrients to someone essentially in a coma?

I would admire the detail and level of thought given to this game, if not for being trapped inside it for who knows how long. I really doubted I would ever be the same in the end.

After purchasing some bread, cheese, meat, eggs and water, I returned to my rented space. I prepared the stove for boiling some soup. As it heated up I looked out the window.

Players.

Not a colony or anything but a few walking into town. Hmph. I had expected I would have more time alone, but I guess it can't be helped. I wasn't planning to stay long anyway.

After lunch, I considered what my future plans were. If people were starting to come in, that either means I was too slow or they were catching up to me. The people I could assume being a potential rival/threat to me would be another beta tester.

_Well... there is **one **less beta tester now._

A grim thought, but I felt little remorse. He **was **asking for it.

_But every life has some value, _an annoying but morally righteous voice in my head said. I shook my head.

_Morals can't save everyone... _I countered. _It's a price but, ends are greater than means... no matter how much it hurts to say it... he was... collateral damage._

I was tired of fighting with myself. I promised to never trust again, unless I had to. Maybe that would be best. I mean, if they don't lie to me, I won't lie to them, right?

I stayed in my room for the rest of the day. I didn't want to reveal myself to the public just yet. I had dinner and before I fell asleep I looked out the window.

A red hooded figure. Maroon shaded, and walking into town. Hmm... there was something peculiar about that figure... but I was too tired to make out the details.

* * *

The same process repeated for about a week. I don't know whether I should care or not, but the updated news showed that more people had died. Not in the triple digits, though... not yet at least.

I felt bad for them, in a way. But honestly, I couldn't take care of everyone. I tried to take care of one person, look where that got me. I guess I was being biased as Coper was only one person out of thousands and I knew not everyone was the same as him, but still. It did not make want to go out and shake hands with anyone.

This is what being alone meant. No one knows about you, no one really cares. In exchange for loneliness, you got peace and quiet. Time to think and make your own decisions. I felt glad that I had not interacted with anyone since a week ago. It seems I even got used to it a bit. But it was almost high time for me to leave this place.

I headed out to the forest again. I could barely make out the sun in the distance. I was going to my usual hunting grounds when I heard something.

The swift rush of metal.

A sword. Listening closer I could discern that the wielder was using «Linear» over and over. Interested, I looked for the source of the sound. With a bit of walking and peering into an open area I saw who I was looking for.

The red-hooded figure.

If it was white it might've been Ezio but no, this person seemed to my height, and was just finishing off a frenzy boar.

A quick lunge and a 180° spin followed by another stab and finally the figure jumped to execute a downward «Linear».

The enemy exploded to pieces and the figure leveled up. The familiar sound of fanfare welcomed the still air. This person quickly dismissed this, however, and suddenly sagged from exhaustion.

I don't know why, but I decided to approach this person.

"Impressive. But you're doing «Overkill», which is more damage than necessary. I'll admit sometimes I do it for show, but overdoing this leads to fast depletion of stamina. You'd be more efficient in learning precision.

The hooded-one looked over at me. I couldn't see their eyes or face but I saw the rigid look on their lips. I was about to turn away but-

"Does it matter? It's dead, right?" The hooded person said. What a gentle voice... beautiful even. A... girl?

I never really talked to many girls, except for one during the beta testing, but I had some sort of idea on how you were supposed to carry on a conversation.

"True, but you'll tired from fighting like this. You should think a bit more carefully next time. It'll you survive," I added trying to sway her opinion. I sensed the conversation was getting awkward so I turned to leave. Before I could walk away, however-

"That's pointless, everyone's going to die in the end anyway..." She said in an empty, given-up kind of way.

Wow. I never thought I would meet someone as emo as I was but that was pretty dark. I agreed to that statement to some extent, but I had to provide a better answer than, 'You're right, so I'll agree to make you feel better', or something.

"That's inevitable for humans, but we don't have to die here. There's too much to lose if we don't get back to the real world. You don't have to listen to me, but just think about it," I said in a soft voice. Comforting girls requires extensive thinking and sweet words. At least, I think the safe way would be so.

She didn't say anything, but it looked like my words got through to her.

"You look really tired. Have you eaten recently? When's the last time you rested?" I asked sincerely. She thought for a moment.

"Not since this morning... and... it's been two days since I've rested?..." She said uncertainly. Wow. I won't deny that's an impressive streak to go on, but it was awfully risky and no doubt stupid. I guess I'm one to be talking, though... First I critique her on fighting style when I said ends over means then I go and try to change her opinion... hypocrisy gets the best of us, doesn't it?

"Well, I think this should suffice," I said and I pulled up a trade menu offering all my leftovers. A bit of bread, some cheese, and one steak. I waited for her to accept and she did.

"Thank you, but why are you doing this?" She asked. She was polite enough not to sound suspicious, but then I couldn't blame her. People don't just go out and hand stuff away. You know, unless you're one of those religious people with little bibles to hand out.

"I guess I... feel a little guilty for not helping others. And plus, you look ridiculously exhausted, I can't just leave you out here," I finished and turned away, fighting a blush on my face.

_Ugh... suck it up, already Casanova..._

"Well, thanks again... I don't know if I could ever repay you..." She trailed off nervously. I will never say this out loud but the innocent way she just ended her sentence was indefinitely cute. I honestly didn't care if she paid me back, everything in this world was digitized anyway... except for people I guess. By that I mean the essence of who they are.

"You don't have to pay me back at all... the food was going to expire if I didn't get rid of it anyway. It's fresh for another 3 days or so. But I'm leaving this place soon, anyway..." I said in an offhand way. Brushing her off gently seemed the way to go, as I had no further interest. Apparently, however, she was.

"Why are you leaving?" She asked sincerely. God, that voice was mesmerizing. But I answered calmly with no change in tone.

"Too many people are coming into town. No offense, but, I'd rather be alone. I think it would be best for everyone," I added in an undertone. She fell silent. I felt bad if I had hurt her somehow, but what did I know about this girl? Why do I even care, I just happened to meet her, it's not as though I'll ever see her again...

"Where are you staying again? I think you ought to get some rest," I asked politely.

"Mhmm, the local inn. It's not much, just a floor mat but it's better than outside. Plus it's cheap, so... it was the first thing I thought of..." She said a little embarrassed.

I can't blame her but the conditions she described sounded pitiful. I guess I was about to play the 'nice guy' card again... and no I have no ulterior motives, so shut up...

"If you want, you can have my place. Note for the future, you can rent other places than just inns, you know. I'll lead you there, there's 2 bedrooms, a nice view, a bathroom, unlimited milk-"

She suddenly grabbed my collar with the speed of light.

_She doesn't have a hidden blade, does she? _I wondered nervously. She was up in my face in an instant and looked pretty threatening.

"What. Did. You. Just. Say?" She asked emphasizing every word.

"Which part? The milk?" I offered humorously.

"No, the other part." She said in an overly-serious manner.

"The nice view? I don't know if you're a bird watcher or anything, but-"

"NO! The part after that!" She yelled in a quiet manner directed at me.

"Ohhh..." I said. I got what she was getting at, but I decided to play around a little more.

"I did say there are **two **bedrooms. Don't worry we don't have to share one..." I said mockingly. I could see her face reddening. I was confident that since she was indebted, she wouldn't kill her benefactor for such a joke. She did however pummel me on the chest with a hard fist. Ouch... what is her strength level any way...

"Don't worry, I would've slept on the floor if you wanted. You meant the bathroom, now? Well, sure I'm leaving anyway, so it'll be all yours for, for let's see... the next 3 days? You can always pay for the next days. I just paid for 10 in advance. Well, this way, Red Riding Hood," I said and turned around to hide my smirk. I caught her pouting and that expression was so cute. Nevertheless, she followed me home. That sounds weird, but go with it, I did not intend to make her out to be a stray cat or anything...

* * *

We reached my place a few minutes later. I let her take a bath while I prepared dinner. It was simple but I think it would be sufficient. I'm not aiming to be Chef Ramsey or anything...

I couldn't help but hear her moan through the door to the bathroom. No, I'm not pervy enough to start eavesdropping like that so get out. But I had to admit, when she gave off those sounds it made me relax. I don't know, maybe it was just the presence of a female. That's not to say I'm going to ask her out or anything... then again, I didn't even know her name. Go figure. Invite a stranger who looks dangerously close to an assassin with that hood.

I waited for a while and she finally got out. Must've been a good bath. She definitely looked like she was glowing more.

"Well... I'm not religious or anything so we don't have to say 'Grace', so let's eat," I said bluntly.

She sat down gracefully with the hood on. She looked slightly scary like she was gonna stab me, but I would never admit that.

"Thanks. You know... for a solo player, you're really nice," She said truthfully. I didn't know what to say to that. A compliment coming from her seemed to put me at ease, but at the same time, I felt like I didn't deserve it. I mean, part of the reason I treated thus far was partially because I felt guilty and wanted repentance.

"'Nice' is a strong word," I said distantly. I couldn't tell her what I meant by that so I hoped she stayed silent. Luckily, she did and I was spared the misfortune to tell her the truth behind my words or at least try to come up with a lie.

Dinner was nice and simple. We ate in silence and cleaned up our plates afterwards. I showed her to the bedrooms.

"You can choose either one, I really don't care. They'll be yours either way," I said and patiently waited. She, of course, chose the one close to the window. Fair enough, I did the same thing. The scenery right now was dark outside, but you could make out the stars. I wondered sometimes, did those stars represent each of us? Did one disappear when someone died? Or was it the other way around, in which you join the stars when you died? Well, it was pointless thought, I only wandered around in my thoughts when I was bored.

"Well, good night, I guess," I said awkwardly. Hey, what was I supposed to say to a girl going to sleep when I didn't even know her name?

Somehow she picked up on my thoughts.

"I never introduced myself, did I?" She said shyly. Adorable. I mean, *cough* that reasonable to say.

"You don't have to, I mean we're just strangers who met up through a game..." I said straight-forwardly. She cast her head down. Then she slowly took her hood off.

A cascade of luscious chestnut hair fell down followed by a face that was worth dying for. Is this what they call an angel?...

"You're very pretty," I let out in a whisper unintentionally. I think she turned away in embarrassment when she caught that. I think **I** was about to pull out my sword and stab myself. No, not that kind of sword... pervs.

"Wh- wh- what?" She stuttered out very shyly with her cheeks blushing a light pink. Never have I wished more for time travel to exist.

_What are you doing you idiot? _A voice inside of me said. I was literally frozen up and unable to form coherent words. Luckily instincts kicked in and reminded me of the situation so I came up with something on the spot.

"I said 'It's very windy', so you should probably take my blanket," I said hoping she would buy this and take what I said as poor pronunciation.

"Oh, thank you. That's very considerate," she said fighting down the blush. However, now she looked disappointed... What?

_Stop thinking so much, _said the last logical part of my brain. Yeah, this is why I like to be alone. I'm no expert in these situations, I'm literally helpless. See? I barely sidestepped a disaster...

I was about to just go to sleep and forget everything but then she spoke.

"My name's Asuna, it's nice to meet you," she said, no longer blushing but avoiding my eyes. I caught sight of her eyes, though, and they were the same color as her hair. A kind of mix between orange and brown. They were exceptionally beautiful, but I don't need to unintentionally compliment her eyes either... so I decided to safely end the conversation before I dragged it into dangerous waters and started drowning.

"It's nice to meet you back, I'm Kirito," I said and looked the other way. I lied down without facing her but before I went to sleep she said-

"Good night, Kirito, thank you... for everything," Asuna said very genuinely. I felt happy inside, but I didn't let that show. Instead I responded in a light way to brush off her appreciation but acknowledge it all the same.

"It's nothing. You would've done the same for me... I think..." I added in a lighthearted way. She giggled and that was enough for me. I needed to sleep before she seduced me with her cuteness. Ahhh... what's wrong with me... she's too kawaii for a girl to be...

As the night fell even further, so did my spirits.

_I really don't deserve her company... It's best I prepare to leave, _I thought to myself.

Then again, it would be rather rude to leave a girl in the middle of the night... not to mention it would look **extremely** suspicious.

I looked up to the sky one more time.

It was a starless night.

* * *

The next morning I woke up early as usual. It just turned six and I felt well-rested. I lifted myself up and turned to see Asuna. She looked adorable sleeping with her hair fallen gently by her side and a few strands caressing her face. I shouldn't really care but this was one of the few times I associated with girls and one of the **very **few times I had a sleepover with a girl. The only other time was when I was young, sometimes my sister was frightened in the night, so I had to accompany her while sleeping.

Mhmm... the contrast between the two was noticeable, however. Asuna looked at peace but I could see the pent-up frustration inside her expression compared to the innocence of my sister. It must've felt longer than it really was for Asuna to look so tired. This was the first real rest she had in a while. I guess it was time to make breakfast.

Like any generic morning, eggs seemed to be the proper way to start the day. I preferred scrambled myself, and I had to assume Asuna wouldn't mind. I added in a bit of salt, basil and some cheese. There were essentially two ways of cooking in SAO: you can select the 'Simplified' version of cooking, or the classic style of 'Realistic' cooking. The former was much quicker but if you were a true chef(in which I'm not) you would get bored easily. I really couldn't care less, but since I had the time I opted for the second style. I'll admit, when you do everything out step-by-step, the results seem to taste better.

I finished preparing breakfast and placed two plates on the table. I only had to wait a few minutes before Asuna woke up. She stretched her arms and sighed contently. It seems like she had a good sleep. When she opened her eyes, the room seemed to have gotten brighter.

"Morning, I hope last night was to your satisfaction," I greeted politely. She gave me a warm smile and returned the greeting.

"Good morning, Kirito. Hmm... you made breakfast? You shouldn't have," Asuna said playfully. But she appreciated it nonetheless.

As she took her seat we ate in the quiet peace of the early morning. There was a light breeze outside. There was a trace of morning light glimmering in the distance. We finished in relatively ten minutes or so and quenched ourselves with milk. I stood up and checked my inventory, stats and equipment.

I was ready to leave. I felt a small pang of regret but I let that go quickly. Time is of the essence.

There was no news so far of the «Boss Room», let alone the dungeon. If I had to, I would face the boss alone. I couldn't stand waiting around for something to happen. I'd rather be the one constantly on the move trying to make some sort of progress at least. Though it was comfortable to spend the day with someone yesterday, that wouldn't get me any closer to ending this game. It was taking too long for my taste to clear the first floor, never mind the rest. I hoped that when I reached them, I could clear them quickly to make up for lost time.

Asuna was looking out the window. This time her hood was down, allowing me to see the luscious, straight locks of her hair. I felt saddened and guilty again.

Leaving. I was leaving someone again. I suppose at the very least, I gained a memory to cherish. I decided to break the silence.

"I suppose this is goodbye..." I said to her back. She turned around a little surprised. Then she remembered my words and looked down a little disappointed like last night.

"I guess you're busy, but, thanks for everything. Again..." Asuna said a little embarrassed but pleased all the same that I had stuck around long enough to say farewell properly instead of slipping out the door rudely.

"There's not much else I can give you except good luck... so I'll see you around," I said sincerely. If I could, I would stay honestly, but the looming reality kept me motivated to keep going.

"Say... do you think we'll ever meet again?" Asuna asked casually, or at least she tried. I could see the slight hopefulness in her eyes. Just like Klein. I was afraid I was going to disappoint her just like him, but at the last minute I changed my response.

"Maybe if you start pulling all-nighters again," I joked. Then I gave a serious answer. "There's circulation of news that a meeting for the discussion of the 1st floor boss 3 weeks from now. It's held in «Tolbana» inside the amphitheater. You should go, it might help," I said solemnly. I planned on going, even though it wouldn't necessarily help, it was an occasion that shouldn't be passed up, just in case.

"Really? You're going, right, Kirito?" Asuna asked. I nodded. Asuna took this news with a slightly happy expression.

"Then I'll see you in 3 weeks," Asuna said with eagerness. I smiled, very amused by her expression. *sigh* It'll be a while before I see her again.

"As a parting gift, I'll leave you with this," I said and opened up the trade menu. She accepted and before she could say thanks, I left.

Yeah, that was pretty rude, but knowing her, I'd end up talking more than I planned to do so. Still, I think she'll forgive me later anyway.

* * *

Kirito left rather rudely. I was going to thank him but he was gone by the time I looked up from receiving the gift he gave me. *sigh* Alone again. It was nice to actually spend time with someone else. It was something I lacked doing ever since the beginning of this game. I wanted to talk to him more, tell him about myself, ask about his life, and more importantly why he so rudely left. But the thing that kept running through my mind was: Why did he help me?

I felt like giving up in this game, but he gave me hope. He made me retain my vision to live on and see the other world again. *sigh* I wish I could've asked to accompany him on his journey, but I guess I have my own. I opened up the gift he gave me. It was a jar of... cream?

I spread it on my fingers tentatively. Then I licked a small portion of the cream. Delicious.

It was really sweet so I finished licking up the rest from my fingers and applied the rest to the bread he gave me. Soon enough, the jar emptied and dissolved into nothingness.

"Uhah... I wish I had more..." I said to myself wistfully.

I wondered what Kirito must be doing. During the time I spent with him, he seemed to be wearing leather gear only. I had purchased some light metal earlier in the game, but I took it off because it decreased the speed of my «Wind Fleuret». I wondered what type of player he was and why he was intent on leaving. I know he said he wanted to avoid too many people, but was that the only reason?

He was such a mystery, but like him, I should get a move on.

I had 3 free days left on this rented room. I might as well use it for what it's worth. Then, I'll prepare to leave as well. There was still so much to this world that I didn't know about. Hopefully sometime in the future, I might get to see what it was all meant for.

* * *

**3 weeks later**

I came back from hunting in the forest. I had finally exhausted all my health potions. Not that I bought many because I hardly used them, so I only got the small, quick healing sizes in limited quantity.

I think had garnered up enough experience and Col. I collected quite a bit of raw materials to sell as well. Whenever the occasion rose, I sold some of it to other players who were looking to complete small optional delivery quests or the like. Some players were actually trying to level up their production skills. Tch. Time well wasted, at least in my opinion. Not all production skills were useless, but only the few that actually paid off, according to my knowledge anyway.

By this time I had raised my level to 11, which, by recommendation by myself and other beta testers, was the proper level to be to face a boss.

There was a guidebook that had recently been distributed via the markets for free. Player-made and compiled info from various sources, myself included. I felt that was the least I could do in order to help others and make up for my still generally selfish nature. 40 pages of info on not just the boss, but also tips on running a good lifestyle.

In any case, the meeting was happening today in the morning. About a month had passed since the game had started. By now people were separated into 4 general categories:

First there were those who naively thought that the government would be able to take of the situation at hand, and so they didn't do anything to help the progression of the game. They merely stayed indoors, only showing outside to earn money wherever possible for food and water. Pitiful, but I guess some people are that weak. Unable to accept reality, they ignored those who were trying to beat the game.

Which leads onto the second group, which were those on the front lines. As the name suggests, these were the true players of SAO who made an effort. I would be grouped into this category, except for one important detail. But, I'll get to that in a bit.

The third group was miscellaneous and made up of many kinds of people. These people didn't have a clear function or goal, but eventually most just joined a large group which was rounding up volunteers with 'promises' of salvation and rewards. These were really mostly threats and force in order to gain more members.

Then there was the fourth group. My group.

We were the beta testers. Most of us were on our own, if not, we were secretly among the rest of the people. We rarely interacted with other players, and if we did, usually the result was trouble. I had so far managed to avoid such matters, aside from my encounter with a certain other beta tester and as you can see, that didn't end well...

We were the most secretive of all the groups, and by that I mean we were very closed off from society and not very willing to share. I could understand these people the best because I was one of them. I'll bet many of them like me started regretting ever getting involved in Sword Art since the beta. But at the same time, we were glad to have gleaned information in advance, and thanks to that, most of us were still alive. Most.

In any game, even the most experienced can still lose. A few of my 'kind' had been unfortunate enough to be killed. Most details were muddy, but it was assumed that they took too big a risk and it didn't pay off. I was a bit skeptical on that part but I wasn't about to go Batman and work as a detective figuring out the cause of deaths. In any case, it was grim to say so, but their deaths taught the rest of us to be careful and most importantly to remember, even with prior knowledge, you're not invincible.

I sat down the steps nearest to the edge on the right of the stadium. There were two main entrances on the east and west. A few dozen had assembled here. From my recently acquired «Detection» skill I could sense that there were a few who lingered outside, listening in on the meeting. Maybe they were shy?

My other recently gained skill was «Hiding». This I chose in order to use when I needed to tail someone, stalk some prey, or simply hide away to be alone. It proved useful enough, though there weren't many instances in which I had to use it since I've been alone most of the game.

I looked around the stadium. People were talking to one another animatedly. It seemed as though they were unaware of the gravity of the situation. I was a little jealous for some reason. I wished I could not care as much like them, but I can't really change that. I directed my attention away and in an accidental glance to the side, I saw a familiar red-hooded figure. Asuna.

She seemed quiet. And scary. Much like the first time I met her. I wanted to say a word of greeting but I felt too awkward with so many people about. Maybe later, when the place thinned out.

A new figure walked out onto the stage. Everyone's conversations quickly subsided and attention was pointed at the blue-haired person.

He wore light metal armor and a sort of shield emblem on his chest. Relatively blue-themed clothing and a iron sword at his side. A handsome player, for a guy I guess(I don't roll that way). He looked around for a second and then addressed the crowd.

"Greetings and thank you to all who came to the first ever official boss meeting! My name is Diabel, and I hope we can work together to defeat the boss and become one step closer to freedom!" He shouted very confidently and that won him some light applause. Pretty words, but does he actually have the means to take action?

"Let's get straight to the point. Today, our scouting team has found the entrance to the first floor dungeon," he said and people started to hang on his word more closely. I could see figures in the shadows of the entrances listening in. Undoubtedly, betas like myself who didn't want to be exposed.

"We have found out that the boss's name is Illfang the Kobold Lord. He used sentinels to send into battle and has four health bars. When he reaches a 1/3 of his health, he switches his bone axe for a talwar," he finished and everyone looked impressed at this amount of information. As expected I learned nothing new, having played the beta and knowing that I helped contribute to the 1st edition of the player-made guidebook. I suppose I sounded arrogant, but at least I kept it to myself.

"And now, I'd like to propose our conceived strategy in order to-"

"Wait just a moment!" A new voice said. I looked behind me.

A new player with brown cactus-like hair appeared before us and jumped down the steps. He looked extremely irritable and automatically pissed me off with just his voice.

_Who's this asshole? _I thought immediately. I'm not one for manners, but at least I'm honest in my opinions.

"Before we go on merrily to beat the boss, I think some of you here have to apologize! My name is Kibaou and I know there are beta testers here! You should all grovel on your knees and give up the stuff you've been hoarding to yourselves! You think you're so cool being beta testers! There are people dead because of you!" He declared angrily and expectantly. I looked down, in mostly anger, but a bit of guilt.

_Ehh... as much as I hate to admit it, he's kind of right... _I thought bitterly. I left Klein, and his friends. I even left Asuna. But the anger surged inside me. I didn't _kill _those people. Maybe I was responsible for one death but I didn't go strutting about and getting people killed. I was about to stand up and face this jerk head-on, temporarily forgetting my objective of being incognito when-

"Excuse me," said another figure. A tall, muscular African man who had an axe swung around his back. He addressed the player who had burst out earlier.

"So you're saying because of the beta testers being unwilling to help, all the other deaths were their responsibility?" He asked. The stubborn idiot nodded. Hey, I'm narrating, I can call people whatever I like.

"My name is Agil. I'm a non-beta tester myself like most of you, but from what I can gather, the betas have helped us more than you know. This book," Agil said pulling said book out, "Was made from the knowledge of various beta testers. And even so, some betas have died," he finished, leaving the opposition looking embarrassed and unsure. However, this debate was in front of an audience and so it was liable for something like-

"Yeah, but compared to us non-betas, how many of them have died? Maybe a few, but that's nothing compared to our numbers, which might I remind you, has reached about 2000 in death toll," countered a new voice belonging to brown-haired player with drooping eyes. He didn't look particularly impressive, but his words gathered a few others who agreed with him.

Every person who died so far has had their name crossed off in a place called the «Monument of Life». It depicted the cause, the time, the day, and the month of death. I saw it up close during my second week into the game. It was located at the «Black Iron Castle» fittingly. I went there out of interest, not because I was convicted or anything, as that place also served as jail.

But anyhow, a storm was starting to brew among the crowd. Mutterings of agreement and disagreement. This could get out of hand. I thought about leaving. Surely that wouldn't be a rude decision in this case...

"You can't blame the betas for all those deaths! They didn't intend to kill anyone!" said a moderately tall, well-combed, brunette male.

"Oh, and I suppose you really think that, don't you? Maybe it's because **you're **a beta, aren't you?!" Kibaou shouted, having regained his confidence. Everyone else started bursting into a commotion. All the while, subconsciously maybe, the sides divided in two. It was clear that one was all non-betas and the other was, or at least those who didn't accuse them. I remained where I was and looked over to Asuna. Thankfully, she didn't join the fray.

Somehow Diabel managed to calm things down. After that, he asked those who would participate to organize into groups of six. Everyone got into groups pretty quick and that left a few, including me and Asuna left out.

_I can't believe I'm doing this... but for appearances at least... _I thought as I walked over to Asuna who looked up with a slight smile.

"Ummm..." I said uncomfortably. It was not my strong suit to ask a girl for anything. But I knew no one else, so...

"Would you, I don't know, like to form a party with me?" I asked, determinedly not looking at her. She chuckled lightly.

"Never asked a girl out before?" She teased. I pouted. Oh, just accept...

"Well, I guess since you asked so nicely," Asuna remarked in a playful manner. Ugh, girls. Making guys feel awkward since forever.

Diabel informed us that the raid would take place at noon. We would meet outside the dungeon at 6PM.

Finally, some actual progress.

I had no intention of dying during this endeavor, but a little bit of warming up wouldn't hurt. I stood to leave and Asuna followed my lead.

Suddenly, Diabel called my name.

"Oi, Kirito! I'd like a word," he said. I walked over, slightly wary.

"Yes?" I asked stiffly. He didn't really know me, and I didn't know him, so I didn't care about courtesy or anything.

"I heard that you have a +6 Anneal Blade," Diabel said interested, wishing to confirm this. I nodded.

"Would you care about selling it, for say, 29.8k Col?" He said temptingly. I was surprised. If I was normal player, I would've accepted. However, so far there were no better swords out there and plus, this is **my **sword that I earned. I didn't like parting with what was dear to me. Recently, I learned what it means to appreciate what you have.

_Sugu... _

No, this sword right now, was my best chance to clear this floor and maybe the next few, should there be no opportunities for better swords. I politely declined.

"I'm sorry, but I can't accept that offer," I said without a hesitation. He looked a bit more serious now, maybe even a hint of anger.

"I insist, Kirito. Perhaps you should reconsider. A deal such as this does not show up everyday..." he added in an attempt to persuade me.

_That's true, maybe. But money shows up everywhere. Everyday. It can't replace something like a person you miss... _I thought and that solidified my answer.

"No, and I won't change that answer. You can pawn off someone else," I said coldly and turned away and walked out with Asuna. I think I felt a glare on my back and mutterings reaching my ears. Doesn't matter. I have what I need, I don't have to care about anything outside that.

We walked through the forest looking for decent kill. Asuna and I remained silent.

_She must be full of questions, _I thought. But I had to focus. Extraneous thoughts would cloud my judgement and my instincts would get rusty.

We found a few wolves to fight. They were too easy and were only one-hit kills. By now we were wandering around aimlessly. I suggested we head to the dungeon entrance early to discuss tactics. True, Diabel had already issued instructions depicting how each group worked and what we were supposed to do, but since he pissed me off a bit, I decided not to give a fuck.

Apparently this was Asuna's first time partying with someone. I was surprised but at least we caught this early on. I explained to her the basics and then more intermediate tactics. The most advanced moves could only be executed by partners that have known each other for a while and learned each others fighting styles. I was still a little cloudy on Asuna's style of fighting. She was just as(but hopefully not more) fast as me. I couldn't help but be impressed by her. As the sun went down we fell into silence. I think I was half-sleeping against a tree at one point. I felt something on my right shoulder. Asuna was leaning her head there lightly.

I was going to leave her like that, but I was forced to wake her up prematurely. The other groups had begun arriving. I shook Asuna lightly and she woke up with her eyes struggling to lift. Cute. I mean, it's a good thing she's not a heavy sleeper...

"The rest of them are here, let's go," I said offering my hand to lift her up. She smiled lightly and graciously accepted. There was a spark from touching her hand. Maybe I was feeling things... the sun may have been getting to me.

We all walked into dungeon and stopped at the doors. Nice. Dark and foreboding. But if SAO followed the usual concept of most games, the first floor should be relatively easy.

Diabel stood facing us. I think he intentionally did not look at me.

"I have one thing to say: Let's win!" He said encouragingly to the rest of us. They all, except for me and Asuna, gave a cheer and readied their weapons. I drew my sword slowly and dramatically. One step closer.

Diabel opened the doors and we rushed inside. It was dark and there was not much I could add detail to because... well it's dark. I'm going to make that simple.

Then suddenly lights upon the wall lit up the room and everything was made clear. We were staring right at the boss. Illfang. A blue-grey, dog-faced, two-meter tall, kind of fat humanoid creature equipped with a bone axe as detailed in the guidebook.

The designated group meant to take the front charged at him. Immediately, he dispatched his Ruin Kobold Sentinels to join the battle. And there was my job to take care of the lesser threat.

Asuna followed me into battle and working together, I provided slash combos while she finished them off with «Linears». It was beautiful teamwork and we cut through many Sentinels.

The main group was busy hacking away the boss's health. It reached about a third and suddenly threw away its axe and shield. Another detail depicted in the guidebook. However, what it pulled out wasn't a «Talwar», it was a «Nodachi».

Suddenly Diabel rushed forward yelling to everyone to let him handle it.

_Baka, _I thought. Why would you-

Then I realized it. He must've been a beta as well. Every beta knew about the «Last Attack» bonus. As mentioned, if you get it you're able to get a rare drop, and if you're lucky, it might be exclusive.

_That's why he wanted my sword. To increase his chances of getting the LA, _I thought bitterly at my slow revelation. I can't really blame him, since in the beta I was usually the one who picked up the last attack by calculating when to use my best sword skills.

Still, he was risking his life for _one _drop.

And the risk... didn't pay off.

The boss caught him off guard by leaping above him and ground-pounding the floor which knocked him into the air and set him up for a deadly combo.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

That's how many hits it took for him to die.

Diabel crashed to ground and ran over to him without thinking. His health was decreasing at an alarming rate. The system was slowly registering the damage, much like a delayed announcement when someone flatlines in the hospital. He coughed a bit and turned his head to face me. Although he had selfish motives, I could understand them. He was not unlike me, but we were still two different people. I managed to catch his last words.

"Ki-ki-kirito... I guess this is karma, isn't it? *cough* If only I were, ugh, a little wiser and maybe- ahh, more selfless. Still, the least I can do is to wish you the best. Defeat the boss... please, for everyone..." He said and for once I would honor his words. Mostly because it was the obvious thing to do. Partially out of respect.

I handed him a health potion, but by the time he held it up to his mouth he burst into thousands of blue shards.

Death.

The second one I witnessed personally so far. I felt a little sorry for him, but it was not the time to mourn, not that I knew him personally well anyway...

Now all that was left was to finish off the boss. Asuna stood by my side.

"I'll go with you. We're partners after all," Asuna said smiling at me. I felt appreciative of her considering us partners. I turned my attention to the boss.

_Just a bit of precision. _

I lined up my posture for a «Vertical Arc» which was a V-shaped strike. Asuna prepared to deliver her signature «Linear». We charged and she broke Illfang's defense by knocking his guard up. This opened an opportunity for me and I quickly capitalized by executing my charged sword skill. I didn't bother to look around as I heard the boss get obliterated into pieces. A message popped up in front of me.

**Congratulations! You got the last attack!**

Following this message was an item. As promised, a rare drop called «Coat of Midnight», a black, simple long-coat. Nice. It's got a ring to it.

Everyone celebrated the victory. There were cheers and high-fives all around. Minus the one casualty, everything seemed to go well. Asuna gave me an admiring glance along with a subtle smile. You know, maybe that was a better reward than the rare drop anyway...

I felt good. We achieved some progress today. Even if it was one floor, it proved we could conquer the rest. That was an encouraging thought. Everything was well until-

"WHHHHYYYYY?!" Shouted someone. I turned to look at the perpetrator.

It was Kibaou. Of course. Maybe he was sore I got the bonus instead of him...

But his question caught me off guard.

"Why did you let Diabel die?!" He asked angrily. I narrowed my eyes, a bit offended.

_"Let... him die?" _I repeated quietly. There were mutterings around and all eyes on me. Suspicion filled their minds and doubt among their faith. This was not good.

"Exactly! You- you must have been a beta tester! That's how knew he the bosses attack patterns! That's why you got the last hit!" Kibaou said accusingly.

Half of that was true. I was a beta tester, but I didn't know the patterns. The beta was different from the current version of Sword Art. If this held true for the rest of game, it was likely most features were updated and previous knowledge was now obsolete.

"Calm down, we can't start pointing fingers! And besides, Kirito helped us clear the 1st floor today! How can you speak like this?" Asked Agil, rushing to my defense. I felt a hint of gratitude towards him.

"Maybe we were given false info... no wonder they call Argo «The Rat». Yes, that must be it... she did credit herself as the main source of info..." Said the voice of the droopy-eyed boy.

"Or maybe the betas conspired and did this on purpose to trick the rest of us! They must've been hoping for the boss to have eliminated more of us so eventually, there would be no competition!" Called a black-haired boy. This incited a commotion. Now the victory of today seemed to work conversely on us.

This was getting out of hand. Not only was Argo being slandered, the betas' reputation was decreasing even further. I thought of all the possible courses of action I could take and evaluated the results. One would be to simply ignore this situation completely, slip out unnoticed and continue on my way as if nothing happened. The second option was to try and negotiate with the non-betas.

_Yeah... that sounds impossible. Too bad they aren't pacifists... _I thought bitterly. This left me with the third choice.

Well... it wasn't going to be pretty. And it most definitely increases my chances of dying. I was going to hated, slandered, condemned. But... I could salvage the reputation of the betas(kind of) and throw the heat off Argo. I knew her personally and she was a good person, albeit a little financially-centered and too business-like sometimes. I did not expect to be paid back, but maybe some people would understand what I was about to do. Better one person be hated than an entire group.

"We should refrain from ever working with beta testers again!" Shouted Kibaou, gathering the support of regrettably, yet unsurprisingly, many players.

"This includes him!" He added pointing a finger at me, centering me out. Asuna looked ready to kill him my defense which was truthfully, very touching. However, I decided to take of this on my own.

I started to laugh. Quiet, and soon it turned into a mocking laughter that drew everyone's attentions and struck them confused.

"Beta tester?... Oh please... out of all the 1000 applicants, how many do you think were _**real **_players?" I said feigning arrogance and scorn. Everybody looked shocked at what I was saying.

"During the beta test, I reached floors no one else could. I did the impossible, I was the _**best. **_Unlike most of the betas, I knew how to level up properly, find all the hidden secrets, figure out the best locations for profit. In short, I hope you don't _ever _again confuse me with those 'beta testers'," I finished coldly. Surely, I must sound like an asshole. That was the intended effect. Drawing all their hatred onto to me was the only way to save the other betas. I don't know why I did this selfless act but maybe it had to do with recent events... or maybe just the guilt... or maybe... Asuna?...

"Th-th-that's way **worse **than a beta! You're just a- a- cheater! No, a beater!" Shouted Kibaou and the phrase caught on quickly. The newly coined word, 'beater', was directed towards me from all directions. Ironic how you can go from hero to hated. Honestly, I couldn't care about being the hero or the villain, just so long as I was acknowledged as the best. Still, I refrained from doing any real dishonorable acts besides the acted one just now.

_Whatever. It's not as though I planned to play with anyone anyway... not for long, and definitely not forever... _

Asuna looked at me with shocked disappointment. She was... hurt? I felt bad about that so I sent her a significant look, trying desperately to convey the unsaid explanation. I have no idea if telepathy actually works but it looks like she got the message. She didn't look sad anymore at least, just understanding. It beats seeing her sad... I think that would kill me inside...

I equipped the «Coat of Midnight» and let it dramatically wave as it descended its presence. I addressed the crowd one more time for good measure.

"Not that anyone should be interested, but if you want to follow me, be prepared to die in battle," I spat viciously. Almost everyone's opinion of me solidified with hatred and anger there. That was the point. They forgot all about the other betas and Argo now. It wasn't for nothing, and although it's weird to think of it this way, I did get famous. Well, infamous, but same concept basically... Optimism sure has its ways...

I walked toward the door behind the throne. I opened the it and it led to a spiral staircase. I would have to climb the steps to the next floor and then head to the center of the district town «Urbus» and touch the «Teleport Gate» in order to activate it and link it to the first. This would be the case for all the rest so that would be how «Aincrad», the name of this entire place, would be connected. I guess you could say, it was a huge, connected sandbox.

I reached the top and stepped out. It was nice and grassy along with many flat mountains in the landscape. I heard steps behind me. I had a hunch on who it was, and sure enough...

"Kirito-kun..." Asuna said softly. I turned to face her. For some reason she looked a little embarrassed.

"What's up?" I asked genuinely curious as to why she followed me. She was looking away a bit, but then turned to face me.

"I have messages from Agil and the rest," She said.

"Really?" I asked not surprised. With the mess I just made for myself, that was to be expected.

"Agil says he understands what you were trying to accomplishing after discussing it with me. And the rest... well, they're still angry and refuse to ever work with you again," she said bluntly. I appreciated her modified message.

"Thanks for cutting out the 'extra' parts. Tell Agil I send my thanks," I said and Asuna nodded.

"I also came here to ask you something myself... where will you go now? What will you do?..." She asked in a worried way. It was too cute to watch but I'm never going to act upon it. I decided to give the honest answer.

"I'm going to do the only thing I can: keep going and hope for the best. I'm going to become stronger... this time for more than just my sake," I said thinking about Sugu. Asuna nodded but still looked troubled.

"So... doesn't that mean you're going to go alone?... Isn't that dangerous?" Asuna said and I had to agree with her words. But that was what I got myself into and I had to accept it. You can't bring back time...

"Yeah, it does... and of course it's dangerous... but I'd rather not risk anything by working with others. Don't get me wrong, it was nice to work with you, Asuna. Truly, but that was a one-time thing. I can't go around partying with everyone I meet. I'm sorry..." I said regretfully. I didn't want to admit it, but I half-wanted Asuna to protest and argue with me on this matter. But she seemed resigned and accepted the conditions. It was painful to see that face, but I dealt with it grudgingly.

_It's better this way... for everyone. You can't join me, Asuna... I'm sorry, but you at least, must live on... _

"This is where we part. You'll be great, Asuna," I said, trying to cheer her up. "You'll become stronger, I can see your potential. People will look towards you for hope. You can do what I can't..." I finished and she seemed to be blushing and tried to hide it by turning away. Cute. But I've spent enough time with her. I turned away and started walking.

There were a few seconds of silence. Then-

"KIRITO-KUN!" Asuna yelled. I turned on reaction to face her... and almost got knocked down.

Asuna had sprinted towards me and hugged me. I felt my face reddening and was confused. Note to self: never mention this to anyone, including me. Embarrassment was one of my weaknesses.

She let go and I felt relieved but saddened at the same time.

"That's... how I'll say thanks... for everything..." Asuna said almost embarrassed as I was. She looked content, though, and that made everything worthwhile.

"Can I ask you something?" She added. I nodded, hoping it wasn't what I thought it was.

"If you ever feel like it... would you want to party up again?..." Asuna asked very quietly. I could hear the hope in her voice but I realized all the same how unrealistic this would be. I decided to give a mixed answer that was both truthful and decisive.

"That's unlikely, Asuna..." I said grimly. She nodded very crestfallen. I expected this reaction, so I responded with on a brighter note.

"I said 'unlikely', not impossible," I said comfortingly. Her expression brightened up instantly and she decided to settle for this answer.

"Good luck... Kirito-kun," Asuna said sincerely. I nodded accepting her sincerity.

"Thanks... you're special, you know that, Asuna?" I said teasingly. She got flushed with embarrassment and punched me on the shoulder. Oww... I rubbed my right shoulder. I'm still wondering what her Strength level is... and her Speed, too...

"See you around, Asuna-chan," I said and left with a wave of my hand. She waved back and watched me leave. Undoubtedly, soon the rest of the players including her would catch up later, so I wasn't too worried. What I was worried about was how I was going to manage now. Then again, I came this far, I was not going to back down. With this resolution, I pressed relentlessly forward.

* * *

I wondered whether I would ever get the chance to meet him again. And if I did, how long would that be, and what would happen in between then? Still, a week ago I wouldn't have cared, but Kirito gave me someone to work towards. A goal. A purpose. Now that I had a reason in mind, I felt like I could do anything. I felt very appreciative for his kindness. Still, he was such a mystery. Maybe in time, things would sort themselves out and things would become clearer. There's still a long way to go...

But I'll definitely meet Kirito-kun again. I smiled. He may be hated by the public now, separated from the betas, but to me, I had my own opinion of him, and that was all that mattered.

To me... he was the best person I've ever met. He was, in this game... the Alpha.

**A/N I hope this chapter was satisfactory despite its excessive length. I apologize if it's too long(5k vs 13k wow) compared to the other chapter. But if you do enjoy long reads, reviews are appreciated. Please tell me what I could work on in polite way and I will try to acknowledge that into my work if I feel it's true. As always please R & R!**


	3. Solo vs Society

**A/N Hi guys! Back for another chapter. This one is unlikely to be as long as the last but we'll see as I'm typing this right now. In any case, for those of who read the first two chapters(whether in detail or not) thank you for giving this fanfic a chance. I already have an idea for another SAO fanfic but that'll come after I finish this one. And it's sequels of course. I'll try to make this a trilogy if I can. Anyways, as always, happy reading! **

I was back to being a solo player. Nothing new, except this time I was pretty much universally hated. It was the first day after clearing the 1st floor and many players had already caught up to me and flooded into «Urbus». I rented out(conveniently) another farmer's second floor for a good deal. I was planning to stay here for, I don't know, 3 days? Not too short that it was pointless to come here, but not too long that I might attract attention. I sighed. Of all the noble acts to pull off, I had to be the one. I was essentially a villain to most players, but to some of the betas who were smart enough to deduce the truth, I was a hero.

_Whatever... I didn't come here to please everyone, and I certainly don't need gratification... _I thought to myself. That was enough to convince me to forget about it. I don't _need _other people to tell me their opinions. It wouldn't change anything. I never started on what I couldn't finish... except once but that was an exception... I gave that up anyway...

It was part of the reason I was skilled with a sword, and also part of the reason why I turned to gaming and virtual reality. But that's for another time...

I sought out for the hunting grounds. If I wanted to be alone, I should head for the mountains. It was a long trek but hopefully it would pay off. I admit that a part of me wished Asuna could've been here, but maybe that was just to assure myself that I wasn't completely hated. It was going to be lonely without her, but then again, I've been lonely for a long time...

* * *

It was 2 weeks since the clearing of the first floor. Progress was happening faster now that we all had experience of what to expect. Well, there was progress among the various new problems we(mostly I) faced.

Betas were still being judged as always. I suppose it could be worse, I mean, at least they can remain anonymous. By now though, society being the discriminating line for all, the players were essentially split into the remaining nine-hundred betas or so and the seven-thousand non-betas.

Looking at it practically, betas were outnumbered and overwhelmed by the mass in comparison. However, in individual terms the average beta was stronger than a non-beta and more likely to survive... and to die. Most, like me, worked alone. However, the soon later, a few joined up into small cliques or groups of personal friends. That was the closest they could get to being like a regular player. Also, being on the smaller scale of population, betas communicated better among each other, and often yielded better results from most endeavors. This increased tensions and prejudice among the other players, but compared to their opinions of me, this might've been friendly competition.

About half of the other betas at least, heard what I did and either figured out the truth or were told by another of what I did and why. I could tell not everyone hated me because occasionally I caught a nod or wave at me from a single player travelling alone and rarely a group would pass by and whisper thanks. I appreciated the sentiment, however small it was.

This didn't mean I was going to work with others, though, even if it was a beta. Every once and a while I caught a player who didn't look like a beta but walked with confidence and an aura of potential. I could tell because betas never drew attention to themselves, besides a few more idealistic ones. These more 'special' non-betas were clearly naturals or at least hard workers in this game. They usually advanced in society quicker and established a leader-like role in their group. More accurately, they were the ones who dominated certain aspects in the game. I wondered if they would pose a threat to me, but I cast off this less-than-pleasant thought.

I walked back to town. I considered donning a hood like Asuna but never got around to doing it. I don't know, maybe it was pointless, or maybe it was because of my pride. I was never one to hide the fact that I thought I was the best.

I heard recent news of blacksmith named Nezuha who was a failure at his job. He always seemed to be unable to upgrade people's weapons. In compensation for loss supplies and weapon, he paid the players off. The reason he didn't go out of business was because there were not many smiths to begin with. NPC smiths were available, but it was better to trust another player with this task because if they got it right, their experience would increase and with enough levels they could perfect the chance of success. Well, almost perfect. For along with this system, came the chances of failure which increased with every success. If you wanted to upgrade a weapon, you would need the materials, a sufficient hammer, and a decent smith. However, it was hard to ever fully upgrade a weapon, especially since there were a limited number of times you could attempt to do so, depending on the weapon. This applied to reinforcing the durability, modifying the look and so on.

I investigated further on this matter since I had nothing better to do. I found out later while hiding in a shady corner of the bar, that he simply ripped off players and gave the weapons to his friends. The trick was something called 'Weapon disappearance'. Later I contacted Agil about this matter. He replied that he would do something about this. I also friended him so next time I could resolve matters quicker.

I made an ambush on the con smith later in a dark alley and threatened him to stop. Never has a player begged more for mercy. I wasn't even robbing him at gunpoint or anything...

Also interesting enough, he turned out to be the droopy-eyed one who spoke up against me a while back. Oh sweet revenge...

After that case, I wandered around town. I sat down on a bench waiting for something to happen. Or rather someone, for soon another person sat down beside me. Argo.

The info broker owed me a favor for all the trouble I went through and offered me one free deal on anything. Besides the names of other betas. A while ago someone tried to buy the names off her in spite because of the little stunt I pulled. She of course, refused and that stirred up a commotion. I stepped in and negotiated to settle things... with a duel. In his anger, the opposing person accepted foolishly and I defeated him in a one-strike match. Dusty from falling to the ground he spat out a curse at me and everyone started yelling at me to leave. I did before things got nasty and that reminded me to refrain from being nice too often.

"So what'll it be, Kii-bou?" Argo said mischievously. She had brown eyes and curly auburn hair. She wore a brown hood and whiskers on her face(cosplay?). I never asked about the whiskers, although I did wonder.

"Tell me something that's useful about this floor," I said vaguely. Honestly, she was the only person who was reliable for information in this game. I met her in the beta test and we had a few conversations. She told me about her business hobby and I told her about myself, or at least the parts I was willing to divulge. One time I think she said she would sell her grandmother for money... I think that was a joke, or at least I assumed so...

"Hmm... well... there is this one quest..." She said childishly. She explained the details about breaking a rock and getting an «Extra Skill» called Martial Arts.

Interesting. I was no expert, but already had a decent grasp on CQC. A little bit of help wouldn't be bad.

"Thanks. Keep safe, Argo," I said and stood to leave. I added her as a friend earlier in the game as my second contact. So far I had 3 friends on my list. It would've been 4 but I debated on adding Asuna. I didn't want to lead her on or anything by asking her to be my friend... So far all my contacts were for business purposes... except for Klein, but I never responded to his messages...

"Hey... Kii-bou," said Argo quietly. I turned to face her. She hugged me, a little tight I might add. When she removed herself, she looked embarrassed.

_Ehh... Asuna does it better... _I thought and immediately corrected myself. _Not that I care... _

"Thanks... you know. For taking the fall..." Argo said sincerely. Well, I guess it wasn't all bad if Argo really meant that. I never planned on pulling a Dark Knight or anything, it just seemed appropriate at the time...

"You're welcome," I said and I walked away. I tried to keep the meeting brief. If I was going to make it now, I had to keep moving.

I kept walking around, trying to find useful information. Besides the quest info Argo gave me, the only decent news was of a meeting for the second floor.

Suddenly, someone tapped me on my shoulder. I turned around and saw Asuna.

"Kirito-kun! It's been so long..." Asuna said pouting. Her expression was adorable but I fought against these thoughts. In order to respond properly, I can't be ogling at her.

"What are you doing here?" I asked a little coldly. She looked shocked but realized the cause of this immediately. Then her eyes changed to a more understanding gaze.

"I wanted to see if you were alright... the rumors that have spread around... you must've heard people talking..." Asuna said sympathetically. My expression lightened a bit. Maybe I was on edge. I regretted my unfriendly response.

"Sorry, I guess things have changed. Yeah, I have heard. Don't worry, it doesn't bother me. I'm just looking for anything that's worth hearing in order to help me," I said more cordially. Asuna nodded understanding. Then she put on a questioning expression. I gave her a subtle signal that it was okay to ask.

"Umm... well... if you do need any help... we could party up..." she asked very shyly. Another day, I would've said no. But this time, maybe I needed a little help.

"Well, I am going on a quest. It's meant for only one person, but, if you want to come there's most definitely some experience you could gain," I said graciously offering her. It sounded like a fair deal so she accepted. So we planned to leave tomorrow to complete it. I had no place to stay so I guess I had to rent out again, however-

"Kirito... do you have a place to stay?" Asuna said curiously. Damn. How'd she know?

"No, I can't say I do..." I said a little embarrassed. She nodded understanding.

"Well, you could stay at my place... for the night," She said. It was a little dark but I could see the slight blush on her face.

"If you say it's okay, then sure. Thanks, Asuna-chan," I said sincerely. She smiled and nodded 'you're welcome'. Then she put on a scary face.

"But don't try anything funny. If you do I'll- I'll-" Asuna said struggling to find a good threat.

"You'll what? You won't make me a sandwich?" I said teasingly. She blushed and hit me on the shoulder. "Ouch... but that doesn't hurt as much as not having a sandwich..." I said playfully while rubbing my right shoulder. She turned and started walking briskly away. "Jerk..." I heard in the distance. I smiled. I was wondering if she was a tsundere...

She led me to her place and prepared dinner. I admit that her cooking skills were better than mine. Then again I didn't really care for cooking gourmet-level foods. Plus, I would be dominated in the kitchen... not being sexist or anything, but that seemed to be the case.

We had grilled salmon with lemon sprayed and a side bowl of rice and a cup of tea. Very subtle and fulfilling. Then she led me to the bedroom. She let me have the one closest to the door. She took the one closest to the window.

_Not fair... _I thought enviously. _I wanted the nice view..._

Besides not getting to choose the beds, it was nice and soft so I looked forward to sleeping.

"Hey... Kirito-kun," Asuna said gently. I turned my attention to her. She looked at me with slightly sad eyes. I hated that look... it made me want to act nice.

"How long do you think it'll be before we get out of this game?" She asked innocently. I wish I knew that answer. What I did know was that not everyone was going to be able to see that day, regrettably... I couldn't do anything about that, so instead of giving the honest answer, I tried to cheer her up.

"Well... considering _my _skills, we should be out by tomorrow. Maybe a week if the game starts to lag," I joked and she scoffed amused.

"Sure, sure... you know, maybe instead of 'Beater' they should call you 'Conceiter'..." Asuna teased. But I was glad she cheered up, and that was her way of showing thanks.

"I see what you did there... well, good night, Asuna," I said tiredly but brightly. She smiled and bid me the same.

"Good night, Kirito..." Asuna said drifting off.

And soon we both feel into a deep sleep. The stars tonight seemed to shine.

* * *

We woke up around 6 like usual. I got up a little earlier than Kirito. I decided to wait for him to get up so I could ask what he would like for breakfast. In the meantime I stared out the window. Everything seemed normal and quiet. That wouldn't always be the case but it was nice to appreciate the silence and peace while it lasted.

Soon, he arose and looked quite cute I might add, but I would never say that aloud. Instead of saying good morning I decided to play around a little bit.

I picked up my pillow and threw it at his head while he was stretching. Needless to say, that caught him off guard and after falling back, he jumped up with an alarmed expression.

"Hey, sneak attacks are cheap! Who-" he said looking around and he caught me giggling to myself quietly. Then his surprised appearance became annoyed and then it changed to 'whatever'. He brushed himself off and yawned.

"Morning, sleepyhead," I said giving a unoriginal but cute nickname. He looked at me with a 'Are you kidding me' expression but responded nonetheless.

"Yeah, good morning... at least for one of us..." he said pouting. That expression was really cute but his serious facial details made it humorous at the same time.

"Sorry about that, but who could resist?" I asked. He didn't respond, assuming that was rhetorical.

"Ready to take on this quest?" He asked a little exhausted but serious nonetheless. I nodded.

"Yep. You better eat up," I said cheerfully. "What would you like?"

"Something that doesn't list 'pillow' as an ingredient," he said a little annoyed and I smiled. I took that as his way of saying, 'I really don't care'. So I got set to prepare cracking some eggs and I tossed an apple at him in the meantime. He caught it deftly and munched on it looking outside the window.

_Ahh... typical Kirito... _I thought to myself.

We finished off breakfast with a glass of milk and headed toward the old man who would give me the quest. He was located in a corner of the town and spoke like a wise sensei. After listening to his boring-ass lecture we finally set off to the mountains.

We encountered many ox-like enemies and worked together to clear them out of our way. It was nice to work alongside Kirito again. We seemed to be able to read each other's moves and switched back and forth to prevent one of us from getting tired. We racked up a nice amount of XP, Col, and items at the end, mostly cow hides, but a few random pieces of equipment and lots of beef.

We finally reached an open clearing in the mountains. There seemed to be a ray of light dramatically pointing out this huge rock. It was about the size of small bear. Granite-grey and marked with small streaks of red. It looked to tough and I wondered how Kirito was going to break this with his bare hands. The requirements for this quest seemed ridiculous. I've seen it on TV and stuff but I never actually saw a real rock just be busted open with nothing but your hands.

Kirito of course didn't register the unrealistic demands of the quest. Or maybe he just ignored because of his huge ego.

He walked up towards the rock and raised his hands in an double-axe grip and struck the rock with all his might.

I don't know what was more painful, watching or listening to his scream of pain.

Despite this, he continued to knock at the rock, albeit a little less violently. I had to admire his persistence, even though it seemed futile. In real life, I doubt even after 5 years he would be able to make a dent on the rock. That's just logic and science. The rules of nature were hard to bend.

However, in a game like an MMO, most things had health or durability. Eventually after continuous amounts of rock bashing, Kirito would be able to reduce the rock's durability to zero. That was a less comforting thought, but at least he would get something out of it.

I watched him for a few hours. While he relentless plowed forward hitting the rock over and over, I sat down and started playing cards with myself. Every once and a while he would mutter a curse or swear a little too blatantly. I felt sorry for him and I wanted to help the quest only allowed one player to attempt this task. It was growing darker but he didn't care. He hadn't looked away from that rock for a **long** time. I was starting to get afraid he might be developing tunnel-vision...

Finally he collapsed in total exhaustion. Breathing heavily he shook his head and caressed his hands. If this weren't a game, I'm sure they would be bleeding or more accurately, reduced to bone. But in this game they only looked really red, which contrasted with his light skin. He looked up toward the sky and down. He shook his head and walked back over to me slowly.

"I think... I'll try again tomorrow..." He said tiredly. I wanted to hug him and cheer up his spirits but I think that would be awkward for both of us. Instead I offered him a spot beside me.

"You should lay down. I'll take care of dinner. I hope you like potato soup," I said and he nodded accepting my request. As I heated up the pot of soup, I added some beef to it. He would like that.

It was dark so we decided to set up sleeping bags. After finishing the relaxing meal, we rolled out the bags and slipped into them.

"It's dangerous sleeping outside, isn't it?" I asked worriedly. I was afraid we might get attacked or even worse. Kirito's presence reassured me somewhat, though...

"Don't worry. You go to sleep I'll keep watch," he said calmly. I could see the shadows in his eyes, however.

"Idiot... you're already tired. Let me take watch instead," I said, but I was warmed by his weak attempt to be noble.

"Yeah, but we don't need both of us to become tired," he countered and from the look on his face he insisted. I guess there was no point in arguing with this idiot... but he was _my _idiot... I mean he was just an idiot, never mind that last part...

"Fine... but if we get killed I'm not forgiving you in the afterlife," I said mockingly playing mean. He smiled.

"Then I'll beg for your forgiveness. Sleep tight, it's better that we're half-strong than all-tired," he said and sat up to a more attentive position.

_Kirito... _I thought.

_You're unbelievable... but maybe that's why... _I never finished that thought for I fell asleep.

* * *

I woke up the next day to the distant sound of tapping. Or at least it sounded like that. I slowly regained my senses and the world opened up. I turned and saw Kirito was not there.

WHAT?

Where did he go? Did something happen? What could've-

_Oh._

I never felt so embarrassed for overreacting than now.

Kirito was still there hammering away at that stupid rock. Though I wonder which of the two _rocks _were more stupid...

I looked at our campfire. It was put out and the black coal gave off a slight burnt smell. There on the ground I saw a plate of meat, an apple and a glass of milk. It was beside an empty one which must've been Kirito's.

_Already ate? He must be really determined... or battle-crazed... _I thought. Maybe it was just in his nature.

This time he showed no signs of pain striking the rock. It actually looked he might achieve something.

_I wonder where he pulls his strength from... _

He wasn't like me in the beginning of the game. He wasn't hopeless, lost in despair, depressed at reality, or anything. Even after being called a 'beater' and shunned from most of society, he showed resolution and drove on, no matter the odds. I found myself wondering where I would be if I hadn't met him.

I used to just stay in a room alone, crying about being trapped in this game. I turned that sadness into anger and strength and went out leveling, without a second care. I thought that as long as I could be myself, I could die satisfied. But then I met him, and he changed my views.

I don't know how to explain it, but something about him caused a change in me. It was definitely for the better, I just didn't know what.

Back to matter at hand, literally, Kirito continued to lash out at the rock. By now it seemed he was used to it, and, was he _smiling? _

I couldn't believe if he was having fun or not but it seemed he was enjoying this. Or maybe he turned into a masochist...

"Any progress?" I called out. He responded without turning.

"Of course I made progress. What do you think I've been doing for the past few hours?" He said offhandedly. Wait... _past few hours?! _

"Didn't you get any sleep at all?" I asked incredulously. He paused for a moment to put his right index finger to his chin to think.

"Let's see... I think 30 minutes?... maybe and hour?..." He said guessing. I was angered at this statement and stood up and started walking over to him.

"Asuna?..." He said curiously.

"Turn around," I said deathly calm. He obeyed, mostly because he was scared at my expression.

"What are you-" he said as I smacked him on the back of his head.

"OWWW! What was _that_ for?!" He said painfully. Honestly, guys are _**really **_dense sometimes.

"You woke up that early just to work on your hand-abusing skills?!" I shouted heatedly. For some reason he blushed. I wondered why and then I caught on to what he thought I meant and blushed heavily myself.

"PERVERT! HENTAI! ECCHI!" I yelled and punched him on the right shoulder hard. I can't **_believe_ **he would ever suggest that!

"Hey, you're the one who said it..." He said teasingly while rubbing his shoulder. Next time I'll punch the other one...

"Sh-shut up..." I said. Fine, maybe I poorly worded that phrase...

"Asuna is so sensitive..." Kirito said mockingly. Jeez, Kirito, have some decency...

"Nyah... Kirito is so mean..." I said upset. "You're an idiot, you know that? No one wakes up just to hit a rock in the morning..."

Kirito looked a little ashamed, and I could see him hiding the weariness behind his eyes and muscles.

"I'm sorry I made you worry," he said and I was slightly mollified. "I'll be more considerate next time."

"You hold to that promise, or else you owe me," I said still stubbornly concerned for his well-being.

"Oh? We'll see who owes who," Kirito said in challenging tone.

I didn't ask him what he meant by that.

We stayed in the mountains for the next day. I went out to the hunting grounds just outside. Kirito told me not to strain myself and I replied, "Hypocrite..."

He continued to try and break the rock for the next few hours. I don't know how he hasn't given up yet...

Night fell and I wandered back to our camp. He took a break finally and we had dinner. I was tired but not extremely.

"Hey, Kirito," I said and he turned my way. "How do you do it? How do you keep on fighting?..." I asked softly. Although I've gained a respect for him(when he's not teasing me), I always wondered about what was in his mind, why he was the way he was.

"...I don't really want to share..." He said and I could understand that. He was less open to people and the chances of him opening up decreased ever since he was labelled as a 'beater'.

"But if I were to give an answer, it's because I don't want to die here. I would never live down the fact that I lost, not just literally, but figuratively as well... I hate losing in any game, but I also hate losing precious things to me... and also... it's selfish to say this, but I can't let anyone else be better than me. I want to known as the best. That's the only way I feel secure... that's why I can't stop fighting... even if I want to..." he finished on a bittersweet note. I really desired to know what he meant but I already pressed on him enough. He bid me good night and turned away. I hesitated, but I called out to him.

"Kirito-kun..." I said in a whisper. He turned his head just enough to look at me with one eye.

"Hold my hand," I said simply. He was confused at my request and blushed a little. I was blushing too, but not to an extreme extent.

"I-I- just wanted to, ah, comfort your hand. You know- af-after hitting that rock so much it must be sore..." I tried to make a reasonable excuse. He looked amused and it made me want to hit him again, but then he took my outstretched right hand and held it in his own lightly.

"If it makes you feel better," he said teasingly. I squeezed his hand a little tightly. He shut up after that.

"That's my line," I said. "Good night, Kirito... don't wake up early again..." I threatened lightheartedly. He chuckled.

"Of course not, mother..." he said and I rolled my eyes.

_You're unbelievable. _

The next day in the afternoon, he finally broke the damn rock. What a hard head.

* * *

It was a week since Kirito acquired the «Martial Arts» skill. He practiced it on easy targets such as the smaller oxen. Give it a while and he would master it. The highest you could go in any skill in order to master it was level 1000. Sounds difficult, but with time and effort, most endeavors do pay off.

After Kirito broke the rock he got quite a bit of Strength XP. I joked that it didn't make him look more muscular on the contrary and he ignored me for an hour or so. He's so sensitive...

The meeting for the 2nd floor boss took place today at noon. It was similar to the first one, except this time, Diabel was not the one who hosted the audience. It was someone named 'Heathcliff'.

An impressive looking figure. Tall, long and grey-haired, with a resolute and confident face. He emitted and aura of command and his voice emanated from the center of the town with a palpable presence.

"Greetings, to all fellow players. We are here to discuss the strategy for facing the 2nd boss named, 'Baran the General Taurus'".

He went on to give detail about what we were to do. It was very similar the first meeting so I won't bother you with the details. Kirito looked like he was about to fall asleep in his seat so I had to shake him every once and a while.

After the plan had been explained everyone cleared out. Heathcliff remained to talk to a few players. I wondered what they could possibly be discussing. Kirito turned to leave.

"You didn't even _**try**_ to pay attention, did you?" I asked him sighing. He smiled innocently.

"Whatever did you mean by that? Of course I was paying attention," he said very sarcastically. Boys.

"Just don't die when we face the boss. **I** at least, payed close attention to details," I huffed proudly. He gave me a bemused expression.

"Being awake doesn't necessarily count as listening," he said teasingly. I punched him, this time on his left shoulder. He smiled all the same.

"So quick to respond, Asuna... I think I'll call you the «Flash»..." he said and I blushed slightly. I never had anyone give me a nickname, much less given by a boy.

"That better not catch on," I said darkly. Kirito nodded just to humor me.

"If you say so..." he said in a singsong voice. He could really get to me sometimes.

* * *

With 7 or 8 so parties gathered we gathered outside the door to the boss. Heathcliff led the way and the rest of us followed. There were a few mutterings around us but Kirito remained silent. Heathcliff addressed us and gave the usual generic pep talk and wished us all luck.

_"If **only, **" _said Kirito darkly. I wondered what he meant by that.

We charged into the boss room and there he was waiting for us.

As his name suggested, he was some sort of bull-type monster. A Minotaur, perhaps? He had a huge gold hammer, horns, a black, shaggy beard, and red skin.

When I checked yesterday, I saw that Kirito's level was 13 and mine was 12. Not too much of a difference and it would be enough to get by.

The boss proved relatively simple with swing and smash attacks with little variety. The groups switched in a out while surrounding the target. Kirito and I got a few hits but it seemed the other groups tried to keep us from attacking as often. It must be because of the the «Last hit» bonus info being spread. Kirito still retained the «Coat of Midnight» and was currently wearing it. I kind of advised him against it since it would attract attention but he said that if he was hated he wanted to be upfront about it. I don't know whether this was pride or stupidity. But maybe he was deep down, just looking out for the other betas.

The boss neared the end of his health. Players were getting very serious. They all wanted that last hit bonus. However, when most of them rushed forward, Baran hit the floor with a special ability called «Numbing Impact». Everyone caught with the radius lost their ability to move, or rather they were heavily weakened. Their minds were unable to send signals to the rest of their bodies to move. This was an opening. Kirito said that I should deliver the finishing blow. I asked why and he answered, "Cause I'm Santa Claus! Just attack!" he said frustrated. I got the point. Maybe to avoid further deterioration of his already ruined rep, he was sharing the glory with me. Also, if a non-beta such as myself was seen working with a beta, maybe there would be hope for cooperation between the two factions.

Kirito set me up by knocking the boss's guard up like I did the last time. Switching our roles, I prepared a «Flashing Penetrator» aimed it at the target's chest. It burst into thousands of glass-like shards and a message saying that I got the last hit appeared.

I took a look at the item. I was a little disappointed that it wasn't something of practical use like Kirito's «Coat of Midnight» which offered higher defense, increased hiding stats, and I admit an rough, attractive look. The Rare drop I obtained was called «Silverlight Ingot». I wasn't a smith so it held less value to me. Kirito walked up to me while everyone else was celebrating. I think I saw Heathcliff give me a respectful nod and Kibaou in the background. I narrowed my eyes. I'm glad _he _didn't get the LA.

"Get something good?" Kirito asked me. I shook my head dejectedly.

"Not really, since I can't use it," I said and I showed it to him in the trade menu. His eyes lit up however, and he couldn't believe my impassive expression.

"Asuna, this is actually pretty valuable. If you find the right merchant, you could sell this for a million Col even!" He said and that raised my interest in this rock. How weird that both of us found something worthwhile in yet another rock...

"Personally, however, I'd hang onto it. Later in the game, if you ever want to try out smithing, with a high enough skill, you could forge quite the weapon. Or you could wait until someone else is," he said and that brightened my hopes. Today seemed to have been worth the wait.

There were mutterings around us now that the celebrating had died off. Kirito narrowed his eyes. He could see the hatred and suspicion in their eyes. With one last defiant glance he turned to me and expression softened.

"That's my cue," he said and I lowered my head in disappointment. Let down again by him, but I couldn't really blame him.

"Why do you have to say it so straightforwardly..." I said sadly. He noticed me getting very dispirited so he reached out to hold my right hand in his for the second time.

"I can't let you have your status ruined by hanging out with me. That's just society, Asuna," he said in the nicest way to break the truth to me. I didn't want him to go, it wasn't fair, but he was doing this for me, not him. I had to respect his decision. This was the only logical choice to make. I tried to smile weakly.

"You're leaving me again..." I said teasingly. Inside I was really sad, though. He was the only person that I at least got somewhat close to. Then I had an idea.

"Promise me we'll party up again," I said seriously. He looked slightly amused but nodded all the same. I held my right pinkie up.

"I promise..." he said playing along and linking his pinkie with mine. I would never forget that warmth. "Fingers crossed..." he muttered intentionally loud enough for me to hear. I smiled slightly and gave him an light and affectionate punch on shoulder. The left one that is, the right had been abused enough...

"That better be a joke," I said lightly and we separated our fingers. I clutched my right hand in my left, trying to preserve his touch.

"Be strong," he said turning to leave. "I trust you'll make the right decisions," Kirito finished and walked away to the stairs leading to the next floor and «Teleport Gate».

It was too bad the whole world seemed to be against him. For a soloer, he was actually a nice person. Suspicious, mysterious, and sometimes unbearable but he had a heart under that armor. Behind the act he carried on for appearances, he was something special. There was no one like him...

I was interrupted in my reverie by a tap on the shoulder. I turned and saw Heathcliff. What does he want with me?...

"I wish to talk with you," he said solemnly.

"About what?" I asked rude with suspicion. I didn't really welcome anyone to talk to me except Kirito. As a matter of fact, he was the only person I welcomed to talk to me...

"About forming a guild," Heathcliff said keeping up his steely gaze.

_Guild? _I thought.

**A/N And that's where we stop! I'm sure you're all wondering how that will affect Asuna and Kirito. You'll find that out later, I promise. In any case, thank you for reading and please review! Leave any and all comments that you feel about the chapters and please try to be polite. Til' the next chapter, please R & R!**


	4. Split Decisions

**A/N Hey, guys! I hope the last chapter was satisfactory. If not, please tell me what could be better. Shout out to Avoide for the feedback. I know the first two chapters were a bit close to the novels, I'm trying to be accurate enough, but I will start to deviate more and create new situations for the characters. I will at least mention the most significant parts from the novels and try to minimize excess detail. I understand if you get bored from lots of description instead of dialogue so I'll try to put more of that in. In any case, thank you for taking the time to read this. Happy reading!**

I arrived at the 3rd floor. It could be described as a «Forest» type area. There were a variety of trees, differing in height and width. I walked along the pathway until it split into a fork. From there it was either the left or the right. To the right there was the main town in sight and also the «Teleport Gate». To the left was where I was going. It was called the «Misty Forest». But I didn't expect to see any Pokémon trainers...

I headed in the direction of the foreboding forest. True to name, there was a moist atmospheric feeling and wet clouds ranging all around. I only came here for a quest that I remembered in the beta. This particular one was unique for there were two options. A forest elf was fighting with a dark elf. Male and female respectively. The quests were essentially the same so it didn't matter which one you chose. In the beta I chose the female, not because I have any attractions to the opposite sex, but because I preferred the darker-themed look. I found out the later the real difference in the quests were the rewards. The light elf would give you a King's Knightsword with a light attribute bonus along with a special ability to temporarily blind opponents. There was a short cool-down time for this and the range only worked on the opponent(s) you were facing, so bystanders would be unaffected and just see a flash. The dark elf on the other hand gave a reward called the Queen's Knightsword, a dark counterpart to the King's sword. The elemental benefit would be increased damage and a special 'decay' ability to weaken durability of weapons when hit. That said it was possible to break a weapon with one single-hit if the attack was strong enough.

I opted for the latter because it was my style. Besides, blinding opponents was pretty cheap, even if it was effective. No matter how puffed-up I may seem sometimes, a fair fight is a real fight. I have my morals...

The only drawback to this quest was that I had to wait until the 9th floor to get my reward. Seeing as that is a bitch of a wait, I did the only thing I could do, which coincidentally is what I was best at: keep fighting.

I really didn't care who or what I had to face. With plenty of enemies out there I was bound to get in a few fights at least. There were also many of my haters who wished to pay me back in kind for being a beater. That was pretty inconsiderate of them, seeing as I helped cleared the first two floors, but I guess old habits die hard...

After accepting the quest, I headed back to town. It was a blue night by then. Players were already there and when they saw me that parted and drew back. They gave the customary glares and mutterings and I gave an amused, mocking smile. All an act of course, but it was ever so slowly pissing me off for real...

_These people really **do **hate me... hmph... it won't matter in the end, though... as long as I get what I want... _

I walked through the crowd but then a voice shouted out to me.

"HEY YOU! Kid in the black! That's a nice coat you have, maybe you wouldn't mind 'sharing' it?" Said a voice belonging to masked man. It looked like a pirate. He was wearing dark grey cloth, light chainmail and wielding a scimitar.

"You are?..." I said apathetically. This guy seemed to be pretty cocky. But I doubt his stats were really that impressive...

"Kotaru. You must've heard of me," he said quite pompously. Wow. He was almost as arrogant as I was, maybe more. Sure I was arrogant but when I did it I looked cool. This guy was just being an airhead. I had a high opinion of myself but I didn't broadcast it... as much. Well, I guess I should at least show him the courtesy of responding...

"What? No, sorry... you must've mistaken me for someone who cares..." I said coolly. That hit the right buttons. He immediately got fired up and started brandishing his scimitar violently.

"Listen here, punk, I got skills that'll make your spin! Hand over that coat if you know what's good for you!" He shouted angrily.

_Oh, I'm **so **scared... stop it, you're hurting my self-esteem... _I thought sarcastically.

"I **do** know what's good for me. You to shut up and stop bothering me. I've got more important business," I said without missing a beat. He grew even more enraged. I expected him to charge at me. I had no worries since we were within a «Safe Zone». That meant direct damage could not be inflicted and things like poison were nullified. It doesn't mean you couldn't fight, however, there were two methods available for such purposes.

One was simply hitting someone, although the victim wouldn't receive any damage and under certain circumstances, the attack would be blocked by the system. The other method was-

"I challenge you to a duel!" Kotaru yelled with animosity.

"I'm sorry I didn't bring my cards," I said being a smartass. This frustrated him further.

"YOU KNOW WHAT I MEANT!" He shouted violently. I turned to leave. You can't argue with an idiot... then-

"Accept! Unless you're chicken..." I stopped cold in my tracks.

I could handle hatred. Take an insult, or even be labelled as the most disgraceful player in the game... but... nobody should ever challenge my audacity...

_I've faced worse that you, prick... shove off. I don't need to prove anything to you... _I thought and resumed walking away, but he goaded me further.

"I guess the 'beater' is really just an insecure twerp who can't do anything except run away on his own, to his little corner to cry... how sad..." Kotaru said provoking my anger. I tried hold off my irritation inside. If I lose it here, it only worsens my rep than it already is... I continued walking. But then he said something that made my pride snap.

"I heard so much about you... how you were so overpowered, so feared, and so great even... guess even you have admirers... but I guess we're all pretty disappointed now, huh? It looks like you're _**not the best..."** _

That was as much as I could take. The one soft spot I had and he hit it. Painfully. It's insecure of me to say so, but if I wasn't the best, I had nothing left. After distancing myself from my sister, leaving my friends behind, and technically killing a fellow beta, the only thing that comforted me was the fact that in every game, no matter what it was, I was the best... if I wasn't... well, then I had to change that.

I turned to face this asshole who crossed the line. My face did not betray any emotions but my eyes held a burning sensation. The best way I could describe how I felt was-

"I'm going to kill you..." I said deathly quiet. There was no need for anger, no need for excess trash talk, I just got straight to the point. He seemed glad I finally responded but there was a hint of fear in his eyes. He opened up the menu and sent me a Duel Request.

**Kotaru challenges you to a Halfway Match! Do you accept?**

I immediately on instinct pressed yes. A 60 second countdown timer appeared between us with a circulating buffer icon.

There were 3 types of duels you could have in SAO: First-Strike, Halfway, and Death Match.

First-Strike was to settle things quickly... usually. It depended on each player's skill and accuracy on how quick the match went. Basically first 'clean' hit wins the match or by gradually reducing one's health to half. The second way was pretty tedious and taxing to pull off. Usually that only happened when one participant or both were using shields. No offense, but if you used a shield I was less inclined to be impressed by you.

Halfway was exactly as it sounded. I would've opted for Death Match but I didn't need to add an unnecessary kill to my personal record. Besides the one...

I pulled out my «Anneal Blade». But I wasn't planning to deal with this with swords...

We readied ourselves as the timer went down to 10. I was filled with «Killing Intent». Nothing else was in my mind except to get revenge... later I would question my mental well-being...

**5...**

**4...**

**3...**

**2... **I closed my eyes...

**1... **and opened them with a venomous yellow glint... was that a trick of light? Or...

Kotaru rushed at me with his scimitar ready for a «Slant». I would parry if this was a normal duel, but I intended to not drag this match out... not by swords that is...

He reached me within a yard and brought down the blade in a right diagonal slash. But right before it-

Uppercut.

With a «Vertical» I swung almost lazily but purposefully. I broke his sword and disarmed him as well. The disjointed hilt and blade fell on either side of me. Kotaru jumped back in shock. Then he looked frightened. I looked at him with dead eyes that would freak anyone out. Then I smiled creepily. With this next move I was going to surprise everyone.

I turned my sword style to a reverse-grip and tossed the blade to him. He caught it surprised.

"Wh-wh what?!" He said unable to register the turn of events. I was still smiling menacingly.

"I _**need**_ no sword to kill you," I said echoing the words of Beowulf. "Even without a weapon you can't beat me," I said despicably arrogant.

I got a sword swinging at my face as a response.

_Too easy, _I thought as I ducked. He came back with an «Avalanche» and this would be where I took total control of the match.

I turned slightly left and back-stepped enough for him to hit the floor instead. A split-second earlier I grabbed his arm with my left hand and swung my right hand in a chop to his throat. He started coughing furiously but I wasn't done. I pounced on him and continued bashing his face with my right fist. I drove it over and over. I guess there were benefits to smashing that rock for 3 days. Your hands get... acquainted.

If SAO had blood, there would certainly be some pouring from his mouth right now. Instead, I managed to knock some teeth out. That would trigger a «Body Loss» warning but the teeth would grow back after 3 minutes.

I dragged him up to his feet and followed up with a knee to his stomach. Then I used my right leg to leg sweep him to the ground. I guess he suffered enough, but I decided to disgrace him one last time to _**everyone**_know just who they were dealing with.

I swung my left foot and kicked him across the face while he was trying to get up. He landed on his back drained of energy and sore all-around. He rolled over writhing in pain and I stomped my right foot on his head showing my dominance. His health reached halfway after I smashed his teeth out. I didn't care, though, I just cared about sending a message. Why should I care for the opinions of people who hate me?

I kneeled down to speak in his ear.

_"If we ever have another duel, it'll be a Death Match..." _I whispered full of contempt. I had many enemies but he went a step further in hitting a nerve of mine. I suppose I have a superiority complex... it was my only shield against insecurity, against my own fears. I hated using shields, because that admitted that I was truly weak, so I hid it behind my proud nature. If you were the best, doesn't that entitle you to ignore what you lack?...

I picked up my «Anneal Blade» and sheathed it. I gave one last look at Kotaru. He was pulled up to his feet by his comrade, who gave me a look of utter disgust. Everyone else just looked freaked out at my outbreak and stared at me with fearful eyes.

"Crazy..."

"We better stay away..."

"He's a psychopath..."

"I hope we don't anger him..."

"It's about time we leave... we'll be safer somewhere else..."

All the voices were getting to my head. Is this who I truly was?...

I never got into an actual fight before, but I just proved victorious in a bare hands brawl...

Why did I feel bad?

Was I just afraid to see that side of me?

Or was it because of my weakness?...

_Gghhh... Grandfather... why were you so hard on me?... It's not fair... _

I lowered my head and let my bangs cover my eyes. I walked away from the scene. The crowd parted like the Red Sea, but I was the only one crossing. Now I see why I'm supposed to be alone... why other people should stay away... why I couldn't keep up with relationships, whether it be friends, romantic interests(yes I had crushes before, I'm only a man...), or even family...

_Sugu... I miss you. And I'm sorry..._

I was so out of touch with people... I didn't recognize the norms anymore...

I walked to the edge of town down South. Ironic. Everything seemed to have gone south... I sat down on a bench under a single lamplight. I was alone... at least I thought I was.

Someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned. It was Asuna.

She must have seen the whole thing. What did she think of me now?...

* * *

I have to say, I never expected Kirito to be that violent... and he criticized **_me_ **about «Overkill»... still...

He looked slightly traumatized as if **he** were the one who just got beaten to a pulp. I wondered if it was because of something he didn't tell me...

I spotted him leaving the central plaza where the fight broke out. I followed him silently. I only hoped his «Detection» level wasn't too high...

I almost got caught by him every once and a while, so I was forced to hide behind corners and such and trail him in intervals of time. Playing the ninja is actually pretty annoying... it's nothing like the movies... popping up anywhere you want... such lies from TV land...

Kirito sat down on a bench alone under a single lamplight. Oh how cliché... it made things seem like a drama...

I silently approached him. No, not _**that **_kind of approach... perverts.

I sat down without him noticing. I felt very accomplished with my Metal Gear Solid-esque stealthiness. But I wasn't a hardcore gamer like Kirito...

I tapped him on the shoulder carefully. He turned wondering who had bothered to follow him. His expression brightened ever so slightly, then it dropped.

"What do you want, Asuna? I thought I told you we can't be seen together..." Kirito said coldly, but I knew he only meant it playfully. I responded in equal insolence.

"First of all, it's rude to address a lady like that, and second of all, we're not together... figuratively and literally..." I said teasingly. He gave a bitter smile.

"Ouch... that hurt. Doesn't that defeat the purpose of why you're here?" He said wonderingly. I started to heat up slightly.

"What do you mean?..." I said warily. He gave me an exasperated smile.

"Didn't you come here to comfort me or something?" He said very openly. I blushed and punched him on his formerly abused right shoulder.

"Oww... is that how you show affection?" Kirito said continuing to make fun of me. I was going to roll his head and let it spin til he couldn't see the world anymore...

"You're such a jerk..." I said embarrassed. It was the only thing I could come up with at the moment. He knew how to make a girl feel uncomfortably teased...

"Then why do you hang out with me?" He said smiling putting on fake confusion. He could never stop the endless barrage of teasing comments...

"I don't know..." I said pouting. He gave an imitated look of surprise.

"That makes **one** of us..." He said ambiguously. I got curious and annoyed at the same time.

"What's **that** supposed to mean?" I asked suspiciously with an accusatory look. He shrugged his shoulders.

"You'll find out... but I think you already know..." he said mysteriously. Gah. He's such a bother, but I can't help being around him because, well... no one else seemed right.

When I was back in the 2nd floor boss room, a few guys approached me, trying to get close. I rejected them of course and cut them off coldly, breaking a few hearts in succession. I was apart of the female population, which averaged about two-fifths of the starting amount of players. However, not to sound like a snobbish, good-looking, rich girl or anything, but there were only a handful of girls who had stunning beauty. It was rare because mostly only guys played games such as these. It appeared not to be the case during the time before the 'tutorial', when it seemed like there was beauty around every corner. Of course when the 'mirror' came into play, that kind of... exposed a few people...

I never questioned why some players... didn't choose their genetically given genders... it was quite shocking but... to each 'her' own right? I'm trying not to judge, it was just something subject to question...

But anyhow, my mind shifted back to our conversation, in which Kirito was a criminal and I was a victim of his constant teasing.

"If you're not going to tell me, don't mention it," I said very tired of his attitude. He smiled and nodded.

"Fine, fine... don't take it so personally, I was joking... as a matter of fact, I'm glad you're here..." he said with a complete change in tone. It sounded so sincere, I almost forgave him for being a jerk... almost. It peaked my curiosity so I waited for him to go on.

"I guess you saw that mess back there..." Kirito said, referring to the recent events in which he, excuse the language, 'Beat the shit out of someone who pissed him off'.

"Yeah... it was kind of hard to miss..." I said honestly. I only just got into town and the first thing I see was him manhandling another guy. I almost felt bad for him except I knew Kirito must have his reasons. He doesn't just go beat on someone because he could... I know him... I mean, I logically assume that wasn't characteristic of his nature... yeah... Gah... thinking to yourself creates so many problems...

"*sigh* Guess I surprised you, huh?" He said sadly for some reason. I wanted to change his mood but I didn't know how... of course many people say girls are impossible to fully understand, but sometimes guys are pretty hard to get too...

"Mhmm... well you didn't do it just because, right? He must've said something pretty insulting or hurtful... okay, you did go over the top a bit but- but- I'm just glad you're... alright..." I said turning away after stuttering so gauchely. What was I _saying? _Ugh... a girl can only ramble for so long...

"Really? You mean that? I'm not exactly sure that justifies me beating him up so badly... but thanks..." Kirito said and I was glad he changed his mood a bit. He returned my concern with a smile. I felt content knowing he was okay... you know if we ever party up again you have to take of your group member's mental health...

But then my spirits got crushed. I remembered the talk I had earlier.

_"A guild?" I asked Heathcliff. He nodded._

_"There is a quest on the 3rd floor that upon completion, will allow players to form guilds. There are many benefits to this and it will increase the chances of survival in the game. I wish to organize an elite group in order to clear all the succeeding floors and free all the surviving players," He said very briefly. _

_That sounded promising, I can't deny that. There is strength in numbers and so far we had been losing numbers. Perhaps that was because of our lack of unity. I thought very meticulously about this. _

_Although I agreed with all the advantages of this idea, there was one drawback. Well... it wasn't actually a drawback... more like a stupid inconvenience... but I couldn't bear to not have **him** with me... but back then... he told me he trusted me... to make the right decisions..._

_I guess I had to choose between selfish, personal gain, and overall gain._

_It hurt to do this, but the logical choice was obvious. It's better that we all escape this game as soon as possible. To see our families and friends... and then maybe... if luck allowed it, I could find him in the real world... talk to him... and just maybe... _

_I finally made up my mind after careful deliberation. I faced Heathcliff._

_"Do you accept this offer to join my future guild, Asuna? You would be the Sub-commander of the Frontlines, with you we have a great chance of success," Heathcliff said. _

_He's very good with words, I'll admit. Part of me wanted to do it, and the other was against it. But in the end, I made the decision that would benefit everyone in the long run. _

_"I accept," I said tersely. There was nothing more to it. I had to think of the benefits for the whole. Not just my feelings alone..._

_I'm_ sorry...

Kirito.

He was looking at me in a weird way.

"Asuna? Are you okay?" He asked worriedly. I shook myself out of my flashback(breaking the fourth wall, I've always wanted to do that ^_^) and faced him a little embarrassed.

"Mhmm?... yeah. I'm okay, just thinking about something I did..." I said. This time he was intrigued with curiosity and was about to ask, but refrained from doing so.

"I won't press you if you don't want to talk about it. Was it important?" He asked sincerely and I nodded. He can be really understanding sometimes, a very stark contrast to his denseness sometimes, but it made hanging out with him bearable.

"Yeah... it was pretty important," I said.

_I hope it works out,_ I thought to myself.

"In that case, it's getting pretty dark. You should head inside, Asuna. Find somewhere to stay. You'll need your strength," he said gently advising me. His concern was very touching.

"What about you? Don't tell me that you're going out?..." I said jokingly but I already knew the answer. He smiled slightly.

"How'd you know? Could it be?... No, it can't... but... is Asuna-chan **_stalking me?"_ **He teased playfully. I blushed and almost activated a unarmed combat skill to punch him with on his right shoulder. He still rubbed it carefully.

"Shut up... just don't die out there..." I said bashfully. He gave me a gracious smile appreciating my roughly-put concern.

"Aww... is it because Asuna-chan can't live without me?" He teased one last time. I looked like a cherry... a very scary cherry.

I made a sudden movement to pull out my sword and then he submitted.

"AHH! Okay okay, I get it! I'm sorry..." He said surrendering. About time. I wonder how I ever managed to put up with him for so long...

"Good night, Asuna," he said, but it looked like he was holding back the temptation to tease me again. Smart move... for a guy.

"I would say 'good night' too, but you're not exactly going to sleep anytime soon..." I said coolly. Tsundere mode: on. He doesn't deserve a proper farewell... not tonight at least..._  
_

"True... well... how about this: if I find something worthwhile, I'll give it to you as a make-up gift?" Kirito said surprisingly. That sounded like a tender offer so I accepted.

"Ehh... sure. But I have high standards..." I said haughtily. He smiled while rolling his eyes.

"I'll take that as a yes... whatever that means in 'girl' terms..." he said passing this off as a mystery. Hmph. Well, I wonder what 'intelligence' means to a guy...

"I'll see you in the morning," I said as an adequate answer.

"That'll depend," he said and walked away to the «Misty Forest». *Sigh*

_You're unbelievable, _I thought. That was the best way I could describe him.

* * *

The 3rd floor was cleared in a week. Very quick compared to the last two. It was probably because of me, of course. Alpha takes precedence over everything...

This time the Rare drop went to Heathcliff. I didn't get to confirm the rumors, but after tailing him and watching from a darkened corner from afar, I used my «Appraisal» skill to identify the sword he obtained. Liberator. A thin, straight sword appearing to be made from hardened steel or silver.

Hmph. A sword drop. It looked promising. My «Anneal Blade» was doing well, but I think soon I had to get another sword. And a next-generation coat, for my «Coat of Midnight» was expending its usefulness. I would keep my old stuff, though. As a gamer, you kind of get attached to inanimate objects... and no, not **those **kind of objects. I was alone, not lonely... there's a difference.

To me, these items had souls forged into them. I know that sounds weird, but if you get it, there's a little insight on my world.

The 4th floor was opened of course, immediately and connected to the rest. It seemed to a bit drier and less agriculturally filled than the last floor. There was sandy color all around and worn cobblestones greeted us when we stepped into town.

Eventually I bet the game would start rehashing some of these environments. There's only so many places and ideas for them...

The fourth floor was cleared in six days. A little quicker than the last just by one. That showed promise nonetheless and raised peoples' morale. Of course, there were still people who lingered back in the 1st floor and those preceding. I guess I couldn't blame them that much, even though they weren't helping. Well, some of them did work to supply the frontliners with food, money, tools and equipment. There were many trades and businesses opening up. Strange to see people getting used to this game. It was a forced assimilation but, it seemed as though some people found a worthwhile purpose while being trapped here against their will.

I was envious.

Not because they were better people than me, not because they were stronger, smarter or even wiser. But because they seemed content... after finding something that appealed to them... a place where they felt they _belonged... _

I didn't understand these emotions of mine. I didn't need contentment... right? Being the best doesn't obligate me to need anything, much less anyone... and yet... I questioned myself.

Everything that's happened. Everything that **will **happen... Everything that _is _happening...

I just don't get it... was it just me who felt this way?...

I tried to ignore these thoughts as I pressed on. I checked my level.

20.

Not good enough, I have to be better than that.

I headed to the cold fields of the fifth floor. It was bleak and gray. I didn't care. A few humanoid rams came my way. I pulled out my sword and let the tip hit the ground. The rams' attentions directed towards me now. They snorted threateningly.

"Shut up," I said quietly. Whenever I'm in a fight, all jokes are dropped, and nothing else matters... except...

_Kill._

**A/N And ending on that light note, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Maybe it was little strange, maybe a little too much, but I hope you like reading it. In the next chapter, I will detail the official formation of guilds along with a few other... surprises. Well, I'll try to surprise you. I know this chapter wasn't as long, but I hope the content was worth it. Interesting to note, I wrote the first 3 chapters in advance. Took a few days, but I wanted readers to get a taste of what they should expect. If you don't like the way I write, please tell me why in a polite, constructive way. I will try to take the advice to heart if I feel you're right. If you do like the way I write and the story so far, please continue reading! Thank you to all those who are following the story and those who favorited and reviewed! Much appreciated, as it gives me helpful feedback and motivation for future chapters/stories. As always, please R & R! Thanks for reading~**


	5. Quality Over Quantity

**A/N Hey guys, back with another chapter! I think I'll be able to do one chapter every weekday, _probably... _in any case, thanks for all those who read the story up until this point(even if you didn't like it completely). After reading the insightful reviews, I guess I'll refrain from making 'perv' jokes. As much at least, I just think from time to time I would lighten the mood with a joke. Idk... do you guys enjoy or hate the little self-inputs from me? I do try to keep in character, aside from the deviations, I try to come up with something Kirito and Asuna would or might say in any given case. If you like this story so far, thanks for giving it a chance. If not, don't worry, after I finish this story and the sequels, I'll be writing another take on SAO. It will be an alternate, much darker, and kind of a crossover borrowing elements from other anime series. But all things come in good time. Anyways, happy reading!  
**  
It's cold tonight and the clouds turn grey.

The sixth floor. A rocky and barren terrain. The last floor was cleared in about six, I guess five in-a-half days.

I was now level 25 and sulking. Yeah, if this wasn't a death game, I guess you could say, 'first world problems'.

It was dark all around, and the sky was an unsettling blue. I suppose there's an exact shade of blue that I don't know the name for, so I'll have to consult Asuna next time... girls are very knowledgeable in that area...

Recently, guilds started popping up everywhere. Ranging from small, which was about 4 people, to large, maybe 30?...

Yes, from a practical point of view, there were many advantages. From my point of view, and a very biased one I'll admit, there were also drawbacks. I just picked on those reasons to justify soloing everything. I guess I'll start with the benefits so I can bash on the flaws last...

In a guild, your chances of survival increased... supposedly, and I'll explain why so later... but anyhow, you could share space for common items in battle such as potions and weapons and such. You could also track a member, privately message them, and if you were high enough in rank, get to boss them around.

I guess the last part sounds fun, but I would just command my guild mates to leave me alone...

Now we can talk about why **I'm **against joining a guild.

First of all, there's tax, which meant all spoils and gains of any income had to have a percentage donated to the vault. Second of all, there were other **people **there, which meant they **expected** something of me, and that meant I had to **talk** to them, or more accurately, 'put up' with them.

Honestly, me being in a guild would be a negative for everyone, including me especially. You have to share things, you have to actually care, and you can't just do whatever you want, which is what I had been doing, and it worked out fine. Sure I was still hated, but I meant to do that... It just wasn't my style and I was never one for teamwork... if I won, it was because of me, and no one else... still...

Recently, or however long it's been, my opinion started to waver and I blamed this on continued association with other people.

Earlier I said joining a guild 'supposedly' increases your chances of survival... well we saw how well my first attempt at teamwork went...

In the end, it's all about trust. And trust was a very fragile, thin line. So precious and morally righteous that it was hard to find sometimes. It could keep you alive, or kill you for having it. I never wanted to trust anyone, at least not that closely... but because of a certain girl, I was torn between two conflicting sides in my mind.

Is it better to be alone, simple as possible, or together, knowing that brings risk but a chance for something better?...

I'm no Socrates so I didn't get very intimate with it. I just stuck with soloing so far, and that has produced more successes for me. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?

Still... you lack things being alone... but that's only because I had a taste of what it was like to be with other people...

Friends...

It sounded nice, but how long do they stay around?...

I kept my arms crossed, standing on the flat roof the house I was renting. The moon seemed to be sad. I felt like something at least could relate to me. Nature's pretty good at that...

* * *

Knights of the Blood Oath.

That was the guild I was apart of. We all had to get uniforms of red and white. There was a customized emblem of a red sword on our clothes and shields. It looked pure and eye-catching.

I was going to miss the freedom of being a solo player. But I knew this was for the best. Kirito-kun wouldn't hate me for this, he said he trusted me with the right decisions. Well, this wasn't a wrong decision, so I thought this would work out.

We formed recently after Heathcliff held a meeting with various people he had handpicked out. We were to the Elite Circle. He said he picked information from various sources and had personally seen the potential of our abilities. We agreed to join him since it was the best course of action. I was a little hesitant to put on the uniform, but cast aside my past profile. This was for the best.

There were other guilds as well, such the Divine Dragon Alliance, or DDA. They had more numbers than us, but it obvious which group had the better members. They currently, were only competition against us. There were smaller guilds as well, but none of real significance so I won't bother you with naming names.

I wondered if Kirito-kun would ever join a guild. The immediate thought was no, but I felt as though there was hope for him. Maybe he could even join my guild.

I know that's a lot to hope for, but a girl can dream, right? Kirito had proven to be more than proficient when working together with a partner. I know he was hated by most people, but maybe he could change their opinions but showing a new side to him alongside a guild. I think he would look good in white, that knight in shining armor-

I mean, just, you know the guy at the front with insane sword finesse and yeah... ugh... what am I to do...

I wondered what he was doing. Honestly I wasn't paying attention to this meeting. It sounded like the same words being repeated over and over. Basically, 'get this stuff', 'we need to start doing this', 'if we start from the bottom we can get to here', and so on...

I felt awkward being the only female member. It just made me stand out more. To make matters worse, some other members tried to get close to me. I rejected them one by one, but since we were in the same guild, they didn't seem too disappointed and kept trying.

_Too bad Kirito-kun isn't here... he could take of this for me... _I thought desperately. It would be a while before I got used to being in a guild, much less like it.

_Hmm... I need a new sword... _I thought a little anxiously. I had grown attached to «Wind Fleuret» over time, but it was starting to lessen in efficiency. I guess I should start looking for a smith... I didn't welcome the prospect of dirtying my clothes with ash and soot to level up smithing and I wasn't going to start...

* * *

The sixth floor was cleared in, hey, what do you know, six days... very convenient. I don't even have to try and narrate...

So far the Rare drops given out since the fourth floor(in order) were «Dragore Blade», a sharp-looking, orange-colored sword with tooth-like serrations near the hilt. Fittingly, this drop was won by the leader of the now Divine Dragon Alliance, which is where they got their name. Well, I don't know about 'Divine', that sounded really douchey and godly arrogant but I wasn't one to speak... and I wondered why they didn't theme their armor and equipment orange. It was grey and with dark blue accents instead. Well, I'm not trying to judge fashion or anything so I'll leave it at that.

The 5th floor drop was «Ivory Talons» which were a pair of claws won by, surprisingly, Argo. Guess even she had some combat experience. Well, claws weren't my cup of tea anyway...

The 6th Rare drop was the one I recently acquired, called the «Cloak of Midnight». Obviously, it must be related to the Coat, so I assumed there were a set of these items. I wasn't really into the collector's business, but I liked how the two matched. A good pair. Curtains to the window if you will, or a girl's dress to her shoes... or handbag... whatever they compare...

This particular item allowed me invisibility as long as it wore it. This sounds utterly unfair so the game balanced it out. The more you move, the Cloak would 'shimmer' and it looked as though a shadow or some kind of smoke was moving. So the best this cloak was for was recon and eavesdropping. But you would have to stick the shadows or plan in advance. Still, any kind of invisibility was pretty badass and I felt great under it. But I was not going to abuse it, and you know what I mean... I have some decency. And I wasn't going to use it to sneak into restricted sections of the library or anything... *wink*

The description for this item was: **Complete invisibility when worn, moving will decrease effects relative to speed of movement. Best used at night.**

And that wasn't obvious... not to mention the way they put it sounded very ambiguous, but that's just me...

I walked around town with no real interest in doing anything. It was daytime so I didn't bother to pull out the cloak. People were bustling about and avoiding my gaze. Well, at least I'm ignored. I'd rather not have a fight.

I sat down on a bench to contemplate my next course of action. The sky was light grey and there was light passing through the openings in the clouds.

I surveyed the area with my «Searching» skill in use. I was looking for something to do. Then I saw a group or armored men. They were walking in formation and the heavy metal they wore clunked around so it was kind of hard to miss them. One of them kept looking back as though he suspected someone trailing them. Very conspicuous. As I had nothing better to do, I decided to follow them with the cloak. Luckily the premises around us provided shadows for me to walk so I was unable to be detected by sight.

They turned a corner and I snuck around, glancing at them. I saw a nervous boy among them. I wondered what that was all about.

I saw them throw him to the floor and they surrounded him. Peculiar. I saw them address the boy, who looked to be 18.

"Now we'll ask you one more time, how about joining the Aincrad Liberation Corps?" Said an imposing figure. He was the only one wearing a red arm sash so I assumed he was the leader. The boy responded trembling.

"But- but- why?" He stuttered out fearfully. I couldn't blame him. It looked like a mugging scene.

"Because we need more members to fill the Frontlines, and we can't let the DDA or the KoB get ahead," said the leader. "Our goal is to ensure equality among all players," he added. That's a very odd thing to say when you're using force on someone... I guess ignorance never fails to amaze me.

"Oh- oh- okay, please just stop asking," said the boy frightened and resigned. I felt bad for the kid, but I didn't step in. Yeah, yeah, I know. Stop bullying, we've all heard it at school at some point. But I was already hated enough, I didn't more of an inconvenience...

_Sorry, kid... _I thought bitterly. _You're gonna have to tough this one out... I've already done my share... _

And that cemented the reason why I didn't want to join a guild. I hated watching that scene, not just because of the cruelty, but because it showed a victory in quantity, not quality. I always believed that being the single best player was better than a team of good players. That right there went against my beliefs, and tried not to remember it.

* * *

I saw Klein's guild «Fuurinkazan» in town. I didn't approach him to talk. It looked like he was talking amiably with his friends, I didn't want to interrupt. Besides, why would he want to see me... I ditched him. What kind of friend does that...

It seemed the recent sequence of events did nothing but give me more reason to not join a guild. My expectations were low, and they just kept getting lower. I just hoped that Asuna didn't... well, even if she did, it's not my decision. I don't why I felt so bitter.

I had been present at every battle meeting so far, and every fight to clear the next floor. What I noticed that those guilds actually paid off. They worked together well, and soon it was just me and few stragglers who worked alone. We got a few hits in, but since the guilds now dominated the front, it was harder to get the last hit.

Hmph. Even so, I doubted they would ever measure up to me. Another benefit to being solo, was that you didn't have to share experience.

The seventh floor was to be cleared today. After the meeting everyone went straight to dungeons. After clearing the preliminary enemies guarding the pathway, we approached the ever-ominous doors. The walls were lit by torches and the light stretched to the floor encompassing all who stood within the radius. I decided to use my «Cloak of Midnight» to get today's Rare drop. You know that motto the Three Musketeers always say? Well, I only believed in the 'All for One' part.

The doors were pushed open by Heathcliff. He had been showing up consistently to the battles.

The boss was a giant rabbit. I'm not kidding.

It looked pretty demented though, with sharp teeth and red eyes. It's fur was snow-white and had claws. Huh. Not very cute...

The Frontliners took the lead and charged in. The DDA acted as tanks and the Knights of the Blood used advanced tactics to swarm and disorient the boss. They dealt hits in turn as to confuse the boss from all directions.

I tried to get in on the action but it seemed other players got in my way, or they were intentionally shutting me out. I guess I wasn't too bothered though, just frustrated. I was going to use the Cloak anyway, that does seem like killstealing and I'll admit it's cheap, but you never complain when you get it, do you? Besides, they were excluding me from fighting as much. Experience was given based on participation and performance. SAO followed the universal rule, 'No pain, no gain'... except if you find money on the floor. Or have inheritance. I suppose you could also jack someone at knifepoint but that's illegal... anyways...

The boss neared the end of its health and had half a bar left. Suddenly it jumped, quite high, and ground-pounded the floor with its foot. A skill called «Wave Diffusion» and it knocked almost everyone off balance. Everyone except me. I took my chance and with «Meteor Smash» a heavy impact downward strike, I took the kill.

The boss was streaked with a vibrant red light and broke into many shards of blue glass. To almost everyone, it looked like the boss had spontaneously exploded. To those with high enough «Detection» though, could see there was a hidden player.

The cloak almost flew off but stayed on just barely. I guess that's why there was a rabbit on the seventh floor. And why its foot was so potent. Cause you know, 7's a lucky number, rabbit's foot... yeah never mind. Back to reality, everyone just seemed content that it was over and one less floor to go. Albeit a bit confused but no matter. I guess they could consider themselves lucky that I stepped in. Another ground-pound like that might have been fatal.

I checked the Rare drop I got.

«Amulet of Athena». Interesting name. I checked the description.

**This item when worn will increase the stat of whatever Skill is being used at time by 50%. Note: Any experience gained will be decreased by 50%. Extra note: Good for aesthetic purposes.**

I snorted. So the game had a little sense of humor. This item seemed to be pretty good, but I'd rather legitimately gain my experience. I suppose I would sell it for, I don't know, I'd have to check sales...

I walked to the doors and opened it silently to the stairways. I climbed the winding pathway and made to the top. Dizzying. I then opened the doors to the eighth floor.

It looked very different from the last floor, which was kind of on the green side, with random vegetation growing about and trees in the weirdest places... once I woke up with a branch in my face...

This area was more, eh, homey?... I don't know how else to say it. There were wheat fields and farms stretching into the distance. I walked the pathway to the «Teleport Gate» and touched the cool stone. It glowed blue signaling activation. The streets were compiled of cobblestones and lights adorned the town inside street lanterns. It looked peaceful, almost too good to be true. And it was because I didn't plan to stay here long. Just another being the Alpha...

I was going to search for a place to rent out, but then a voice stopped me.

"Kirito-kun..." said Asuna. I was not surprised to hear her voice, I was surprised she found me. I turned around and threw off the cloak.

* * *

I noticed the doors open ever so slightly. But no one was there, or at least it seemed so, but I saw a shadow with the outline of a person. I had a hunch, and decided to follow this 'shadow' up the stairs to the next floor.

On my map, since I had high enough «Detection», I could track the 'shadow' on my map. It stopped at the town. I checked for the name. «Friben Village». It looked nice enough.

I hadn't talked to Kirito in a while and while being in a guild had its benefits, it was really hard not to quit. But I steeled myself to put up with it. Kirito looked like he was about to leave, so I called out to him.

"Kirito-kun..." I said quietly and he must have caught this for he stopped on my radar. He threw off the cloak and there was a sight I haven't seen in a while. Still in black, suspicious and mysterious as always...

He looked surprised but then smiled slightly.

"I swear to God you _**are**_stalking me," he teased automatically. Gosh, now I regret coming here... first he says pisses me off...

And yet... he was the only person I would let make fun of me.

"You've haven't matured at all... I'm surprised you're not more hated," I quipped back. He rolled his eyes but smiled anyway.

"Why? Do you hate me now?" He joked. I'm already reaching my limit...

"I don't know, figure it out..." I said coldly. I came here to have a civilized conversation and he responds in the most irritable way possible.

"Aww... you know they say the girl just acts really mean to the guy she _likes..."_ he suggested pointedly. I blushed and punched him on his right shoulder. I heard him groan, "Point proven... was worth it..." Guys just didn't know when to stop... you would think he would stop setting himself up for this...

"Have you been keeping out of trouble?" I asked trying to feign disinterest on his safety.

"What do you consider 'trouble'?" Kirito asked very childishly. I rolled my eyes and started walking away in annoyance. He rushed to walk beside me on the right.

"*sigh* Fine... I'll answer seriously. Yes, I've been keeping quiet and out of trouble," he said disappointed that I wasn't in the mood for more verbal warfare of constant bickering and teasing. "You're no fun, Asuna..." He muttered. I smiled at him pouting.

"Hmm... I see. Well as long as you're not dead, that's fine," I said casually. He looked a little stunned at my lack of concern. Then he just threw it away as though it didn't bother him.

"What's with the getup?" He asked suddenly. Oh right. The uniform. I was wondering when he would ask...

"I uh, joined a guild..." I said shyly. He kept looking straight ahead. I looked over slightly to see his expression. He had a very good poker face, I'll admit, but I saw in his eyes the disappointment. Plus he was blinking a little too much. Were his eyes wet?... Or was it a trick of light?... He couldn't be... could he?...

"I see... so you made the smart choice. I hope it's working out," he said cheerfully. But I could see he was faking it behind his smile. It looked painful...

"It has its benefits. But I get approached by a few of the other members from time to time... it's annoying..." I said truthfully. I think by now I could confide a bit of my trust in him. He gave an odd look. Was that jealousy?...

"Really? I guess I can't blame them..." he said indifferently. I was surprised at his response.

"Why not?" I asked back. He tried to sound like he didn't have an opinion.

"I don't know, I suppose it's because you're pretty..." he said smirking a little bit. I got flushed and wondered where that came from.

"Oh? Is that it?" I teased. I wanted him to keep going. When he started being sincere, I could forgive him for being a jerk.

"Yeah, that's pretty much all you got," he threw at me as a joke. I threw him into the lamppost. I take back what I just said...

"You're never going to change are you?" I asked tiredly with a sigh. He looked calm at this remark.

"I already have changed... enough..." he said distantly and I wondered what he meant. There was a dark and serious look in his eyes. Very gloomy. I pushed him lightly to shake him out of it.

"Quit it, you're ruining the moment," I said mockingly. He smiled just a bit.

"I wonder about that..." he said playing along. I decided to stop playing around.

"What did you mean by 'smart' choice?" I asked curiously. He kept looking forward. Very rude not to give eye contact...

"You know, accepting your limits and deciding to join a guild," he said simply.

"And you haven't reached your limit?" I accused skeptically. He smirked arrogantly. I swear that's his signature move, annoying people to no end... or at least just me...

"I don't have a limit..." he joked. I rolled my eyes. What a guy response.

"You're going to eat those words, and when you do, I won't help you," I said coldly and he gave a false look of incredulity.

"Even if I ask you really nicely?" He said in a playful tone. I sighed exasperated. Typical Kirito.

"Yeah, even if. But don't you ever think of joining a guild?" I asked hiding the hopefulness behind my words. He shook his head and stopped smiling. Besides being known as a beater, what did he have against guilds?

"Oh I thought about it, I just won't join one. No matter how much you persist," he added and that pretty much killed any chance I got at asking him to join.

"Can you tell me why?..." I asked cautiously. I didn't want to tread into space you should stay out of. He responded with an interesting question.

"Let me ask you, Asuna. Do you trust your guild?" he asked and I was caught off guard. I never really gave much thought to that. I guess I joined because the cause was noble, but I never wondered about verifying trust.

"I guess so... why?" I asked a little defensively. Great. Now I started doubting my own guild. Why would he ask that?...

"Because trust is precious... I should know. I'm not doubting your judgement, I'm just saying be careful who you trust..." he said trying to be passive. I was kind of touched by his concern.

"I trust you..." I said quietly. I think he blushed a bit and rolled his eyes in an attempt to pass it off.

"That's beside the point, of course you trust me, I'm just amazing like that," he said pompously. I smirked amused at his way of expressing gratitude. Boys get so flustered so easily...

"Mhm hmm... can I ask why you're so concerned about why I joined a guild?" I asked provocatively. He seemed frustrated trying to come up with a reasonable excuse without being explicit. It was cute.

"Cause I..." It looked like he was really struggling to say it. "I kind of care about you..." he said and he determinedly looked the other way. Aww... he really said it...

I can't say I wasn't affected by his words so I returned the favor.

"And I also kind of care about you..." I admitted heating up slowly. He looked at the ground as though it was the most interesting thing ever. I saw the embarrassment on his cheeks in the lantern light. He coughed to break the ice.

"Anyhow, just... promise me you'll be careful," he said trying to seem unconcerned. It was nice to know he cared.

"That's the advice I should be giving to you," I said but nodded smiling. He acknowledged my acceptance and fell quiet. Then he spoke again.

"You've changed, you know that?" he said unexpectedly. I blinked.

"In what way?" I asked curious to know.

"It seems as though you've found something worthwhile in this world," he said plainly. That was an accurate deduction, I'll admit. He's pretty sharp, just not all the time...

"Yeah, I suppose... what about you?" I asked wonderingly. He looked saddened.

"I had something worthwhile... but I threw it away and lost it... I'm trying to get it back," he said solemnly. I don't know what was going through his mind but I think I could sympathize and empathize with him. He must've been referring to the real world. It was an unspoken rule to not ask about personal things such as that. I did want to ask... but I held back my questions.

"I hope you find what you lost," I said expressing my condolences. He nodded in acceptance.

"Thanks... at the very least, I think I found something here," he said sincerely and looked at me directly. I turned away blushing. I suddenly sneezed. I forgot that it was cold.

Kirito looked very conflicted for some reason. Then after sighing nervously, he put his arm around my shoulders. I have blushed way too many times in this game... and every time it was because of him.

"Uhh... well... joined body temperatures share more warmth, so... don't kill me..." he said with his eyes closed silently praying I wouldn't hit him. I smiled warmly. Because it was, and **only **because it was him, I let it go. We walked that way for a while, and at one point I got tired and leaned my head against his shoulder.

We reached the north end of the village. We sat down on a bench just enjoying each other's presence. I was growing sleepy. Kirito pondered silently, and then he looked up.

"I think the other players are coming now. It's time to split up," he said suddenly. I didn't hear or see anyone, though.

"How can you tell?" I asked drowsily.

"«Hypersense». It's an «Outside System Skill»," he said simply. Of course.

"Huh, fancy..." I said. I honestly didn't want him to go, but I guess he had to in order to avoid further complications.

"We won't really be able to work together much anymore, but good luck with the guild," he said standing up.

"Yeah... I would say the same, but you don't need luck, do you?" I said smirking. I expected he was going to say something arrogant.

"I've already had the **best **luck, I got to meet you, didn't I?" He said sincerely. My eyes opened wider. Did he just say... I blushed and wondered why the bench didn't melt.

"Why are you saying all these things?..." I asked still very embarrassed but touched. I like this side of him...

"Because things are going to change," he said briefly. "I don't know what'll happen, so I'm making I sure I do what I can so I don't regret not doing it... I've had enough of that..." he said downcast. I'm not sure what he meant but I think it was what he was referring to earlier.

"What are you going to do?..." I asked worried about what his dark hints at the future.

"I saw a bit of trouble today with the «Army»... I've got a kid to rescue..." he said seriously. I was heartened to hear him speak such words. I guess he's not so selfish after all...

"I hope you succeed. Do your best, Kirito-kun..." I said encouragingly. Until the end of this game, I was going to show him my support.

"That means a lot from you, Asuna..." Kirito said appreciatively. "Goodbye..." he said a little disheartened.

"Goodbye..." I said dejected seeing him walk away. "I'll miss you..." I whispered. I think he heard, because he turned back and walked over to me. He grasped both my hands in his and I couldn't stop blushing. I was really surprised by him today.

"I'll miss you too..." he said endearingly. Then he narrowed his eyes in deep sorrow.

"I'm sorry..." he said painfully. I was confused by what he said.

"For what?..." I asked wondering why he looked so hurt.

"I can't... just... don't think about me too much. It's just not right..." he said dejectedly. I think I got what he said but I didn't want to accept it. Suddenly my heart started throbbing incessantly in pain.

"Why?..." I asked almost reduced to tears.

"You'll understand one day... I just don't deserve this... you need to be strong... for me, please?..." he said desperately. I turned my head away and shook in my inability to accept his words. Why was he so harsh to bring this upon me now?... I thought he had... the same feelings as I did...

He looked disgusted by myself but he let go of my hands. He put his right hand gently on my left shoulder but I shook him off. Now I couldn't take it, and I started crying.

He looked like he wanted to comfort me, but refrained from doing so. He sighed one last time and walked away. I think I heard him say something.

"I'm sorry, Asuna... but it's for the best."

His footsteps faded away. In my mind a strong dislike started to form for him. But in my heart, I was screaming for him to come back.

What was for the best? I just didn't understand why... the unknown answer was just killing me...

_Kirito-kun... why?_

* * *

I left Asuna pretty disappointed. No, that's an understatement, I left her in an emotional wreck. I felt utterly sorry for her, and I hated myself and the guilt inside that returned to haunt me.

But I had my reasons.

Truthfully, I've been losing reason to keep pushing on. I wondered if it was because I wasn't trying hard enough. Then I realized, it was because of Asuna. The more time I spent with her, the less I cared about everything else... she seemed to be the only person that mattered when it was just us...

But that was wrong. I don't deserve to meet someone like her. Inside, despite all the pride I hold on my shoulders, the arrogance I display, the mask of cool indifference I wore, I was really weak. It felt like I _wanted _to depend on Asuna.

What I've learned is that emotions tie you down, and they hurt like hell. That's why I distanced myself in the first place. From everyone. From Sugu, from grandfather, from my aunt and uncle, from Klein, Argo, Agil, even Asuna...

But she grew close to me... too close...

I would never admit it out loud, but a day without her seems a day wasted. I never had feelings like this before for anyone. It was probably because I was afraid.

If I let these emotions get in the way, I might not have the will to clear the game. I have to be cold and ruthless to end this nightmare. Not just for me, but for Asuna and everyone trapped here. I can't just be selfish and tie myself down with Asuna... after all I did I didn't deserve to have a companion. I needed to keep fighting, and never stop. Not til this was over, then I would say I was sorry and try to fix what I threw away with Asuna. I just hoped she would forgive me. This was my means to an end. It doesn't matter if I'm alone, just as long as it pays off.

So there you have it. I hurt Asuna because I was afraid of putting her in danger. Yeah, maybe if I was more tactful I would ask her before disappointing her so heavily, but I didn't want to consult her and risk changing my mind. I couldn't be with her, she deserved better than me. I know where I stood. Between dying and Asuna, I'd rather be alone and die for her than be with her and risk both of us dying. I wouldn't forgive myself if I couldn't protect her.

I'm an idiot, I know that. There's probably bound to be better solutions than this, but isn't it better this way? I half-expected Asuna to hate me now, but at least that way she would be strong. She would be desensitized if I died. She would be able to do what's right for everyone. Let's face it, I know that said I hated guilds and any form of teamwork, but she changed my mind. I saw what could be possible. She needed to strong for everyone, including me. That's why she was the one who joined a guild and I didn't. If I saw a teammate die, I probably couldn't take it. Why?

Guilt. It was the guilt that consumed me. Ever since I quit kendo, my grandfather was heavily disappointed. It was two years and I got bored. He scolded me and even beat me up, but my sister stepped in to save me. She said she did enough for the both of us and told my grandfather to stop. I would never forget that.

I owed my sister so much, and how did I repay her? Distancing myself because I was a coward. That's why I wanted to be the best. Being the best means you don't have to rely on anyone... I was a scared, naive kid who couldn't deal with his emotions. I just didn't know how to express my feelings that I bottled inside.

_Sugu... if I do make it back, I want to dedicate my life to make you happy again... I'm so sorry..._

I kept walking with tears in my eyes.

_Asuna... if you ever forgive me, I'll never leave your side again... I- I- love-_

I sighed. I sounded so stupid. What did I know about love?...

I continued to walk outside of town. A wolf spawned in front of me.

The surroundings were dark, I was in a wheat field. No one, just me, and my prey.

It must've been looking for sheep to eat or something, seeing as it licked its lips hungrily. I pulled out my sword and tensed myself up to kill it.

_Asuna... _I thought.

_This is for you...  
_  
**A/N And the end of another chapter! I hope that surprised you enough. What did you think? Good? Bad? Poorly edited?(I hope not) Anyways, in the next chapter or so, I'm going to try and speed up the floor advancement. You'll see more characters coming in as well. If you like the story, thank you for reading! If not... well thanks for reading anyway. Please R & R! Thanks for your time~**


	6. Reassessment

**A/N Hi guys! I realize it's been awhile since I've updated, so thanks for waiting patiently ^^ Truth is, I got a bit lazy and tired so I took a break watching anime. Besides that, I'm going into sophomore year this fall and as always at my school I've got summer homework so bear with me. I'll try to update as much as I can, but don't be surprised if I get a bad case of procrastination, it's a habit... sorry(happens to the best of us). I've read the reviews and I appreciate everyone who has read the entire thing so far. To address everything briefly, I will try to implement some of the suggestions I got from the feedback, however I must admit, I disagree with certain points made previously... not to go on a tangent, I'll cut this short so you can enjoy(I hope) the story. I will respond to the points made at a later time, most likely. Anyways, happy reading~**

There was no interesting news that was worth reporting on the 8th floor except for rumors about «Beast Tamers». Supposedly, certain creatures in this game could be trained to become friendly and assist players in whatever they were specified to do. I thought about owning a dragon as a pet... I should've facepalmed myself.

Honestly, the odds of taming a beast seemed to be pretty low. I wouldn't bother in investing in such a risky endeavor. I'd rather stick by a surefire way to achieve success... or something such as safety for someone else...

Ends over means. That was how I lived for a long time, it's brought me up to here. I shouldn't complain... I _shouldn't..._

I was sitting in a bar in the corner, top left hand near the door on the side. It was one of those corner couches fitted around a table, red in color. The atmosphere was casual and the dim light of candles lit the premises. I felt drowsy, and tried to keep awake.

_She's late... _I thought. Trust a girl to be late on a meeting...

The door opened as I said that. In came Argo, the awaited one. She saw me and smiled, walking over to where I sat. I sighed. Is business always this punctual?...

"What's up, Kii-bou?" Argo asked me energetically like an old friend who I hadn't seen in a long time. "I hope you're doing well?"

I sighed. _That's _an ironic question... I quickly turned my exasperation into a face of extreme seriousness.

"I don't have time for small talk, Argo. I just need information," I said dismissively. The sooner I got things done, the less time I would lose, and I could minimize the negative impacts on myself... and those around me.

"Jeez, you're really cold... more than usual," Argo said sighing tiredly. That was an extraordinary thing to hear from someone who puts business in front of people...

"So, what great mystery does your anti-social mind ponder?" Argo asked mockingly. In a casual, friendly way, but I still felt offended. Just because it's true doesn't mean I want to hear it...

"I need to know about the Army's recent activities... more specifically anything about 'recruiting'," I said briefly. I in no way was indebted to that kid who got forced into service, I just felt guilty that I didn't do anything... then again, if I hadn't seen anything, would I still feel that way?... Do people just react to what they see, and ignore what they don't?

"Hmm... well, there's spread of news that the Army's numbers have been increasing, and lately they've been seen around town buying up excessive amounts of supplies and labeling certain areas, the 'Army's Territory'," Argo said with air quotes. I was able to deduce the other details without asking. Now I just needed to know something a little more specific...

"Do you know where their base is? Or anything about new members?" I asked inquisitively. This wasn't personal, but at same time it was... I guess I just needed one way to repent for past actions... and for something to do to keep busy.

"Well, not exactly, but I bet if you tail one of them you'll find it... or you can 'interrogate' one of them if you're not that patient..." Argo said joking offhandedly.

_Sounds reasonable enough. That's all I need to know, _I thought and quickly rose to leave. She looked a little disappointed, but I didn't care about showing a girl a good time...

"That's good enough for me. Thanks, Argo," I said and tossed a bag of money in payment. It was just loose change I had as leftover from purchases. I honestly didn't care if it was enough or more than the fee she charged. She stopped me before I could walk out the door.

"Say, Kirito... out of curiosity, why all the fuss about the Army all of a sudden?" She asked innocently. I couldn't blame her I guess... for the past 3 days until I finally tracked her down and arranged a meeting, I had been searching out any clues on the Army. Honestly, I didn't know why I went so far into this matter, but I guess it was pride... or something like that.

"It's a bit personal... don't worry, no one'll die... probably," I added as a dark joke. She smiled at my twisted comment and shook her head.

"Don't hurt yourself," Argo said genuinely anxious. I guess I appreciated the concern. It wasn't the same, though...

"I expect we'll have more meetings in the future," I said truthfully. That was how I was planning to go for the next few months or so. A freelancer if you will. Argo provided me the information, all I had to do was pick a job and achieve the objective. Just your generic briefing, dossier, and assignment process.

Fortunately, there were enough 'chores' for me to choose from and quite the variety. These ranged from settling disputes, escorting, stealing(I do not condone this... for the most part), to even relationship problems(hah...).

Argo said bye to me as I left the bar. I just nodded in recognition without glancing back. The best way to move forward is to not look back... people just tend to do it anyway, including me, admittedly...

I looked around with «Searching» activated. It would highlight my targets easier. Through the busy streets, I saw a peculiar man. Thin, tall but very timid-looking. I found my prey.

_Looks like he'll break easily, _I thought and started weaving through the crowd(no white hood, though). He was wearing a red sash, just like that other guy, except instead of a star badge pinned to him, there was a pair of wings. Undeniably, though, he was an Army soldier.

I think he started getting nervous as I approached him. He started moving away in a irregular pattern through the crowd. Then he took a turn into a corner alleyway. What a stupid move, doesn't he know what happens **every time **in the movies?

I glanced around the alley. It was dark(when is there ever a sunny alley?) and foreboding. He paused looking nervous but unaware I was watching him. I approached silently closer until I could hold him at knife-point.

"Move and you're dead," I said emptily. Those quiet, calm voices always freak most people out. Probably because it hints at a sadistic nature... which I didn't have... I think.

He started shaking and if I was real technical about the conditions I would've killed him, but you can't talk to dead people... and expect a response... most of the time...

"Tell me what you know about the Army's recent activities. And don't forget to include anything about their base and anything important," I said threateningly. "Do a good job, and we forget we even met, and I mean **_forget, _**or else..." I said not caring for his feelings. He stuttered out slowly what I wanted to hear.

To be safe I knocked him out when he was done and hid him in a dark corner. He'd wake up eventually. I suppose I should care about his safety a little bit more, but I didn't have time to waste. I just hoped for good luck for his sake.

_Maybe I hit him hard enough to cause amnesia... saves me the trouble... _I thought. And I left in pursuit of the kid I abandoned... technically.

_Hang on kid, I got your back._

* * *

I didn't have his back. It was too late. I found where the Army's base was on the first floor in the Black Iron Castle. After infiltrating and 'interrogating' another soldier from the base with the same 'wings' badge, which incidentally referenced Hermes, the Greek messenger, I found out that the kid I was trying to save was killed in action. How sad.

I was more angry than sad, though. A life that I could've saved and I didn't. I suppose I didn't know him at all, and I was no way obligated to save him in the first place. Still, I felt sorry and I couldn't help but care. I guess being the best didn't do it this time. I'd have to try again... with a little more urgency.

The kid who was forcefully inducted was sent to scout ahead with a small squad of the Army. He and two others died in 'service'. The Army held a brief memorial and then pushed it aside for other matters to attend to. I saw the rough gravestones carved with their names and date of death. Inscribed was a brief message saying :memento mori. In Latin, which meant, 'remember that you will die'. What a promising statement.

It angered me that they had brushed off his death so quickly, but I guess I shouldn't be a hypocrite. More so, I couldn't help but blame the kid in a way for not standing up for himself. Hell, if it was me, I would've fought back or even run away. I'd rather keep my individual status than to uphold to something I'm not. But I guess fate forces injustice upon us... this was all just fuel to the fire for me, the anger inside started burning, and that turned to hateful strength. Vengeance was dripping through my veins, and I promised to avenge all the people who'd died because of being in a guild. The pressure was too much for one person to take.

I needed a clean slate. To start over and move relentlessly forward. That means leaving behind the past. To start, there was one thing I didn't do yet, because of my pride. I went into the 1st floor forest again. Searching for something trivial.

_I think this is the one, _I thought. The red bush looked like the Grim,(black dog, death omen) ironically. This is where he died.

I pulled out the small sword from my inventory that I had from the start of the game. I didn't use it anymore, but I guess I had a slight attachment to it. But it was time to part. I drove it into the soil. Then I tossed the Nepent flower beside it, which I had kept all this time. It was a makeshift grave for someone I buried in my mind because I couldn't actually bury him... after all this time, I still felt guilty. Now though, as I walked away, it slowly got replaced by a cold desire for progress. The tragic fate was mine. There was blood on my hands, I left the only girl I cared for, and now I'm to walk this path alone. Well, by that I meant without help, at least I would try to.

Try. Was that all I could do?...

For the next few months or so, despite all the achievements I made, was I really making progress?...

_Asuna..._

* * *

I've never been rejected in my life. So when it happened I was utterly broken up. I cried for a night after walking back from the bench I sat. I started to have a grudge against the 8th floor. I knew it was unreasonable, but I didn't care. Anything to blame for what happened that night. I guess, despite what happened, I didn't want to blame Kirito-kun...

I thought about what he said. He must really mean well, now that I had time to ponder. He said he wanted me to be strong, to be safe. But wasn't he a bit selfish for not caring how I felt?... You can have all the strength in the world, but you can break just as easily without mental willpower. I guess this was just a lesson I had to learn for myself... I had never had my defenses invaded and shattered so easily. I started to trust people less and less. Even my guild members.

_Maybe I should've stayed solo... _I thought sadly. _Then I could follow him._

No. That wasn't the right choice. That was just what I wanted. I couldn't be like him and just throw off people like that. I had other people to fight for. Including him. I think I figured it out. He _wanted _this to happen so I would have motivation. A leader without strength and confidence couldn't guide people. This was my duty, my responsibility. I couldn't run away, no matter how tempting. The soft touch of his hands faded, the vivid memories of his presence became distant, but the gentle warmth of his feelings took place in my heart. It hurt now to see him anywhere, or hear anything about him. But I made a resolution. I was going to fight, like him, no matter what it took, disregarding how I did it, to see the end of this world. He saved me, and helped me so much. In addition, he was my only friend in this world. Currently, though, I had no idea how he was or what he was thinking. But when this was over, or I did enough to satisfy my desires, I would ask him everything I wanted to know. He would owe me at least that much. I didn't want everything here to be for nothing. So far, he was my only personal reason to fight...

I stared out the window, with shadows of my tears. My face gradually loss the innocent, abandoned, hurtful look and it was replaced by grudging perseverance and cold resolution.

_If this is what he wanted... I'll do my best, _I thought obstinately. _I just want him back... is that too much?..._

For the next few months or so, I would relentlessly push forward, not letting anything get in my way of progress. Not even him...

The eight floor was cleared in two days later. I delivered the killing blow but I felt no contentment from the victory. He was nearby somewhere, but he felt so far away. I caught him walking alone to the doors leading to the upper floor. Alone as always... I wish I could've been by his side.

"Congratulations! Good job, Asuna-sama!" Said one of my colleagues, who incidentally was an admirer I had already rejected about three times. "You look good, even in battle!" He added annoyingly as a stupid pickup line. I rolled my eyes with the shallow content of his words.

"Thanks, that's sweet I guess..." I said coldly dismissive. It wouldn't have been annoying if Kirito were the one to say it... but I can't expect that now.

I inspected the bonus item I got. «Adamant Shield». I scoffed. How ironic, protection from something that couldn't be deflected. The description said: **Made from one of the most durable metals in the world, this shield is resistant to all elements. Contact with similar materials will damage the weaker substance. Lightweight material and especially resistant to extreme heat. Intended for dragon hunting.**

Well, I wasn't planning on dragon hunting anytime soon, so I suppose I could've sold it for a good price. Still, maybe it was useful for future floors. I kept it, along with the «Silverlight Ingot» from before. I hoped luck would be on my side.

The ninth floor was an empty, granite gray. The wind blew in the background and there were trees to the north and south of the town. The two polarities were quite different, though. The north forest looked very dark and the south looked more tranquil and brighter. Maybe there's more significance to them...

Then I made the parallel of the two sides to me and Kirito. He was like the north, dark, unwelcoming, but he was moving forward. Which meant the south, representing me, was bright, serene, and welcoming... it was a nice thought, but I feared the truth of the actual meaning behind it. Would I always be caught up in the past?...

So many things just weren't fair it was surprising I hadn't broke apart inside. Theory was never so wrong when met with practical results. Or so it seemed at the moment. Just how much does emotion drive decision?...

These thoughts lingered as I took part in the boss meeting for the 9th floor. I didn't really take part so to speak, rather I just nodded and gave the occasional response as a sign that I was still alive. I knew that I should've been more attentive, but in the end, it's just about killing the boss. The difference was the strategy with every encounter.

I found myself growing tired of the relentless discussion and an inevitable ennui fell upon me. Like any girl, I fell into a state of apathy to the world around me and wrapped myself in my own thoughts. I rested my chin lightly on my right hand. I kept my facade as a look of polite acknowledgement for the conversation, but my mind wandered to the most sensitive subject of all.

I caught him leaning against the wall in a darkened side of the room. The premises were lit with pale yellow lights of numerous candles. It was nightfall and tomorrow would be the clearing of the 9th floor. Definitely compared to the beginning, people had more certainty in clearing the game. Some even boasted the prospect of being the hero(ine) that would save them all. To that statement I highly doubted, after evaluating other frontliners and analyzing their statistics. It's not because I felt I was outright better than them, though I was, it was because that role was out of their reach. There was someone else, who, I admit, would best even me.

He never looked intimidating, noticeable, or even friendly. But as I unconsciously gazed at him in his little emo corner(no offense), I wondered like I did the day I met him, who was he really? Under that armor, who was hiding?...

He reached out to me. It was strange and uncharacteristic, but I accepted his hand. What exactly were his thoughts? I would've given almost anything to know, and that was the part that frustrated me the most about him...

_Kirito..._

Looking back, he seemed to be so open with me. He even trusted me to a certain extent, so why? The insufferable urge to know and the fact that I had no means to gain access to this made me angry at him. I was mad for him being so closed up after being so nice to me... I felt a little betrayed but at the same time, guilty. No matter how I looked at it, I must the reason why. If I ever heard his explanation I wondered if it would make sense...

In response to this I carried on like it didn't bother me. But sometimes my actions were contradictory to my claims. I would wait, wait for a response. A proper elucidation to this unknown matter. And my feelings... would they be resolved?... Besides asking why, there was one question that recurred in my mind:

What does he _really _mean to me?

I was unsure, but maybe that was the better alternative. Fear of the answer always provides comfort as long as you don't know... but I would out. Someday...

* * *

Another night passed uneventfully. I slipped out as soon as the meeting ended. Pointless. I really didn't give a shit about talking strategies, since I was a reckless solo player with a dangerous mix of speed and damage. There were many players who chose the standard norm of balancing their combat stats. I noticed this over the past few battles. The thing that bothered me the most were the amount of shield users. Shields are defined as protection. By my standards that was a sign of fear. What happened when that shield broke?

I guess it was a personal opinion, but as the bosses grew steadily more difficult, I realized I had to prioritize my goals. It would be taxing, and damn right unreasonable according to common sense, but I knew what I had to do. I headed to the north forest. Alone, of course, but when I left I felt someone's eyes on me. A quick glance and my peripheral scan confirmed that it was Asuna. I felt a slight pain in my chest. I shook it off and walked on briskly to my destination.

I felt strange, with all the emotions bottled inside me. Guilt for the things that were out of reach, fear for the safety of others... mainly just one other... anger for the slow rate of progress, and ultimately hate for the lies I told myself and the hypocrisy I showed. I was contemptuous about shields when I was really hiding behind a lie. I told myself that strength was what I needed to clear this nightmare. But I didn't have strength, just utter weakness and a phobia for that. It was ironic, truthfully I didn't want to be alone, I wanted to depend on someone. I did, but then I remembered that would an concession to weakness. To rely on another meant you weren't strong enough on your own. So I chose to do what was logical... if you were as prideful and misguided as I was.

The price of being strong was a heavy one. At the same time, it was just a lie. It was really pretending you weren't hurt and acting as though you could take so many hits... was strength... just an illusion that I wanted to believe in? All these numbers, they don't mean anything realistically, so why do I care so much?...

But lies comforted me. They gave me an excuse to carry on, as though I never had a problem at all. And excuses are the easiest way to compensate for your own shortcomings.

I arrived at the Dark Elf Queen's domain. After receiving the «Queen's Knightsword», I flourished it to check out its properties. Heavy, dark, and better than most swords, so I intended to replace the «Anneal Blade» with it, but before that, I wanted to experiment with something.

I wouldn't be the first one to try, but I sure as hell would be the best at dual-wielding. I held the Knightsword in my right and Anneal grasped in my left. No, I didn't have the luxury of rude hand gestures to taunt enemies anymore, but if this worked it would be worth the trade. I tried to activate a sword skill by aligning my blades in one direction with my stance in a charging position. The ineffectiveness was confirmed by the lack of glowing light upon the blades. I figured as much. Then I tried to activate a skill with one blade only. The Knightsword was covered in a purple coat of light. I canceled the charge and quickly switched to the Anneal which enveloped itself in a light blue glow. This was what I was banking on.

If I couldn't use sword skills simultaneously, I could at least use them in rapid succession. I heard rumors from Argo that some people tried to achieve this concept... and failed miserably for the most part. In the entire world, you're either a rightie or a leftie, but every once and awhile, you get someone who's ambidextrous. Like me, I'm special like that. And for the record, I didn't achieve this by unconventional means... you know what I mean.

A little backstory to it, I used to be bored when practicing kendo, but I couldn't get it off my mind so easily, so I had to find ways to make it more interesting. Or at least exciting in my case. I know the proper way was to grip the handle with both hands, but I tried experimenting using a single hand. It proved difficult at first because of the weight of the bamboo, but eventually, and I mean _eventually_, I got the hang of it. I practiced this for about 7 months until my grandfather found out. Naturally he went on a rant about how I wasn't conforming to tradition and all this crap about not having discipline and a loss of focus which he blamed on me for my apathetic approach to practice. Obviously, as a younger and much less mature boy, I acted childishly rebellious and kept doing it anyway, only this time I limited myself to training in my room with rulers and yardsticks.

During that time, I became a little obsessed with the idea of dual-wielding, and I refused to concede until I was satisfied with my own competence. Of course during that period, my wrists and arms became tired with countless strokes and swings, incidentally, I turned towards learning pen tricks and spinning them in my hand. It would've been cool to do the same with a sword, but I guess that's less probable to be able to do...

My finesse increased day by day and when playing my RPGs and such, I felt the games were often too tame with their sword usage and the moves weren't very complex to entertain my tastes. That's why when Sword Art Online was released, I was surprised by the option of non-system assistance. I guess I liked the idea of running wild with my own skills, fighting however I felt like doing it. Freedom. That was the simple answer to my enjoyment. The beta offered that and now looking back, I wish this game had stayed in the beta... but crying over spilled milk doesn't refill the bottle.

Exploiting this «Outside System Skill» was how I was going to beat this game. Although the idea of dual-wielding wasn't unknown, but I was the only one who was going to keep using it. Even if there was no official skill to level it up, I could still increase the experience of my one-handed skill slot, which was nearing the halfway milestone.

_When I reach him... I'm going to be ready, _I thought to myself determined. I headed out to the plains between the two opposing forests on the west side. No one for miles to come... and all prey was mine. I took my two blades and went on an endless rampage slaughtering «Wandering Fiends» which were astral-type monsters. It didn't mean they were invincible, though, just more transparent and that they floated.

Normally I would have to search out or wait for respawns in order to continue my violent massacre, but recently I obtained a new skill. I used «Howl» which was a Hate Skill that attracted more attention to the one conveying it. Ironically, this was labelled as a defensive skill, but technically it was since it drew off the aggro on other team members... if I had any.

Instead, I used it to gather crowds of hostile NPCs, which quickly filled up my radar. I was going to be busy for hours, give or take a few. All I knew was, it would be over eventually...

I came near into the yellow zone a few times, but replenished my health with quick shots of health potions. It tasted like lemon juice sometimes, warm honey at others. I didn't pay much attention to taste, though, seeing as I'm not a food critic. Maybe except for sandwiches.

Damage consisted mainly of scratches due to a steady increase of exhaustion. I kept going, even though I could've bailed at anytime. The meeting ended at 11. It was now 4 in the morning.

_"Five hours..." _I breathed out visibly shaking, but not to a seizure-like degree. _"That's nothing..."_

If I strained my eyes, I could see the ever so faint light of day. Dawn was slowly creeping up. But I was motivated to go on, just until the next level.

The sun was nearly up halfway and the sky was a dark indigo mixed with pink and pale orange. One last fiend arrived to meet me. It fell to my blades as I jumped and spun tilted to the left with a double downward «Vertical». The welcoming sound of fanfare signified my accomplishment.

Level 30. 6 A.M. The boss battle was at 9. Considering all things, I tried to salvage the predicament I put myself in.

_"Fuck it..."_ I said resigned and with a sigh. I looked around and saw nobody still and the outline of the town was bathed in a faint light. I walked over to a tree and pulled out the «Cloak of Midnight». I set my alarm to 8:30. I lied down against the tree while throwing the Cloak on to completely cover me.

_Sleep is sleep, I don't give a shit where or how lo-lo- long... _I yawned interrupting my thoughts. I fell unconscious after 15 seconds.

* * *

I hid my level from everyone, and that was a reasonable thing to do. Personal information was very important and dangerous. I wasn't the only who did it, but of course not everyone is a recluse like me. Some people flaunted their levels and I flashed them a slightly patronizing look. I tried not to smirk because that would most likely lead to another fight, and all the more reason for people to avoid me.

We were at the doors to the boss room. The giant hallway had many columns intertwined with green vines and black roots with sharp thorns. The contrast resembled the outside of this floor with the whole 'two sides' theme.

Heathcliff was delivering a short word of encouragement. I rolled my eyes. That was something anyone with a mouth could do...

I noticed Asuna purposefully not looking at me. There was something different in her expression, but I expected as much. She was a lot different than how I remembered her. From time to time, I would ask Argo for information about the Knights of the Blood Oath. Obviously, I wasn't really concerned with the group as a whole, rather, though I didn't say it out loud, I wanted to know that Asuna was doing alright. Argo might've picked up on this because she started teasing me every now and then before giving a serious answer after I stared her down. I still cared... I always did. Just, now I had to do it from a distance. I'm no guardian angel, but I personally wanted to make sure Asuna was okay. I don't know what she was thinking now, though...

The doors were pushed open and darkness greeted us. In the center of the room was a large spotlight. The boss was nowhere to be seen. I was the first to dare make a move to the center. Brandishing my new blade, I attracted a few looks of envy and disgust. As expected, so it didn't bother me. I planned on not displaying my dual-wielding unless I had to, though. The less they know, the safer I was. Or something like that...

As soon as I touched the light with my right foot, the boss appeared. «Dark Archfiend» was its name. It had a skeletal appearance and glowing red eyes. There were two devilishly curved horns and hollow wings with a bone-like structure. It had a muscular frame, black skin and sharpened claws. An intimidating look, but I held no fear. Just another boss to kill. I dropped my sword low enough that the tip hit the floor. Then I started gradually picking up speed towards the target, with a trace of sparks following me on the floor.

First blood.

* * *

With a combined effort of multiple switches, precise hacking and slashing, and graceful dodges by yours truly, the boss was reduced into the red zone of its health. Now it was time to take the kill.

Unfortunately, due to hasty maneuvers, a few deaths occurred. A couple players got swept away by the Archfiend's claws, and one was crushed in a vice grip. It was painful to watch but I gritted my teeth and tightened my grip on my sword. I rushed at the boss and when its arm extended towards me, I leapt on it and ran up to the head. It was too late by the time it realized my intentions as I jumped and fell down dramatically driving the blade into its skull. Before it burst and dissipated, I leapt back smoothly in a backflip and landed with a batman-esque drop. A familiar message popped up in front of me.

**Congratulations! You got the last attack!**

Following the update was the bonus item. «The Deceiver» which was a ring, with half the band colored silver and the other onyx. It was only fitting for it to follow the 'two sides' theme of the 9th floor. I proceeded to examine the description:

**Made by the elves consisting of pure leukonite material and obsidian demonstone, this ring when worn allows the wearer to create a duplicate of themselves to trick opponents. The copy will vanish upon physical touch except by the user. Commands are limited to the owner's imagination. This item may be upgraded to further levels enhancing properties such as multiple copies and physical form. Material required: one quart of melted raw dragonstone.**

That sounded pretty useful, so I decided to slip it on my right ring finger. I also made a mental note to fix up a time to upgrade this new item. It would help me in the long run.

I looked around the surrounding area. Six people had died. A shame, but I did what I could. Unfortunately, not everyone was going to make it, and I accepted that. I turned to leave and just as I reached the door to the next floor, someone called me out. Trouble must be my best friend.

"Hey you! Filthy beater, turn around and face me!" Challenged a rough voice. I tried to calm my nerves with deep breathing before turning around. I saw guy in grey clothing, chainmail and scimitar. Familiar...

"That's a nice sword you have, maybe you should give it up to 'compensate' us?" The guy said aggressively hinting at no chance for negotiation. I sighed exasperated. Another jerk I had to deal with...

"What do you mean by, 'compensate', I won this for myself. Get your own," I responded listlessly. He got mad of course and I was ready for that.

"You SEE here?! This guy's a selfish brat who let those other people die! Maybe if we had a fair distribution of items, we would've been able to save them today! This just proves that we can't trust this asshole who'd rather hog everything to himself! We should just TAKE the stuff he's got! If he's so good, he can manage WITHOUT them!" Shouted the stranger. People cast me doubtful looks and muttered sounds of agreement. Asuna, however, looked infuriated and clenched her fists at the guy. I almost smiled. So she still cared... touching. But I intended to deal with this on my own.

"Is that it?" I asked unsympathetically at the string of insults and ostracizing words of the immature crybaby. "Did you get your point across? What do you want me to do exactly? I can't bring back dead people, so stop antagonizing me as though I'm _responsible... _I never realized I had to hold your hands and **babysit **each and every one of you... those people died today because they got overconfident. If I recall right, **I** stepped in first to fight. I never asked for you to follow me, or risk your lives trying to get the Last Attack..." I spat venomously. It did indeed sound selfish to hog the glory and reap all the benefits, but who else could do the job right? I was willing to die to clear the game, that's why I made the first move... I guess they were too blind to appreciate what I was trying to do, but then, I guess I was unwilling to come upfront with them and decided to keep playing solo...

The crowd was left stunned and a renewed round of murmurs but this time with mixed opinions. There were probably a few betas there watching from afar. And at least Asuna wasn't against me...

The guy who addressed me approached with a furious expression. He was taller by at least a head, but I stared back nonchalantly, with an almost amused glint in my eye.

"Listen here, you **cheat. **I'm going teach you a lesson, and take revenge for my pal you thrashed back then. **Winner takes all," **he said forcefully and sent a duel invitation to me. I was going to accept instantly, but then I noticed something peculiar.

**Isuke challenges you to a Death Match! Do you accept?**

_What the hell?... I didn't think he was **this **pissed off..._ I thought caught off guard. A Death Match. In all my time here, I had not even one Death Match yet... I considered the possible outcomes. One, was to face him and possibly kill another player. Sure it would be partially justified, but... this was another **human.** I hadn't ever killed anyone _directly... _and this thought brought a slight guilt from the back of my mind.

Two, I could decline the match and just leave. Sure, I'd lose face but, it was probably the most peaceful and logical decision. Walk away, and fight another time. Unfortunately, the latter was just a dream I would never achieve in real life. No matter how hard I tried, I had too much damn pride to just walk away... this guy had to know his place. I accepted the terms.

People were shocked to see the notice of a Death Match being agreed upon by both competitors. I knew Asuna was watching and I felt conflicted inside. But I made my choice, and well, if the ship's already sinking, might as well swim.

I readied my Knightsword and mirrored his stance to mock him. I saw the anger in his eyes and I smirked. Enraging him would guarantee him losing his cool, and without a clear head, he couldn't focus on the fight. In short, my ploy was to play with his mind so his moves wouldn't coordinate with him. This match would be over soon, but I wouldn't kill him... just humiliate him to the point of death and have him begging on his knees... and when he submitted, my victory would be all that mattered.

"Now I recognize **you,"** I said tauntingly. "You're friends with that wannabe ninja, right? Same guild? How sweet, best friends til the end, huh? I just _knew_ something was similar about you guys... you just look _**more**_ pathetic than he does..." I said contemptuously arrogant. That did it for him, and he couldn't wait when the timer hit zero and charged at me with abandon.

The fight was finished from the start.

I toyed with him by parrying all his moves and dodging his sword skills. His movements were painfully sloppy and quite predictable. Even Klein could own this guy... speaking of which, I wondered what was happening with him... I hoped he didn't die yet, otherwise I could never apologize for what I did that day...

It had been about five minutes, but his sword was worn down. My Knightsword was «Decaying» his blade, and the quality of the metal was worsening with rust, cracks, and chips in the edge. I figured it was time to break the weapon and finish this trivial battle.

He charged at me, similar to how his friend did, with a slanted strike. I used a «Vertical» and broke the blade. The force of the deflection knocked him back but I grabbed him with my free left hand and pulled him into a right knee to his face with a small jump to add momentum. In real life, that would've shattered his nose. In SAO it just took away a third of his health. He was lucky my Strength level wasn't maxed out...

He collapsed on his back and before he could get up, I pointed the end of my sword in his face.

"Don't even bother," I said harshly. "Just give up and today there won't be **seven **casualties." He face sweatdropped and I could see him reaching for the Surrender option on the duel menu. Then he paused and gave a smirk. _What?_

Suddenly my «Hypersense» picked up a presence closing in behind me. I had no time to turn around so I was forced to use some of my special equipment. Luckily, SAO had customizable hotkeys, so I activated the one for my «Cloak of Midnight» and it instantly covered me. Using the temporary confusion of my opponent, I looked around and saw his friend who I beat before with a dagger held in reverse grip. He looked utterly perplexed at my sudden disappearance.

_Dirty bastards... _I thought. _And they say **I'm **a cheating beater..._

I then activated my newly acquired ring «The Deceiver» and a clone of me appeared where I originally was after I stepped stealthily around my surprise attacker.

"I GOT YOU, ASSHOLE! SERVES YOU RIGHT ACTING SO TOUGH!" Said Kotaru after recovering from his initial shock. He made to grab 'me' and stabbed the dagger into my back. I saw a green bottle glint on his belt. Paralysis. Clever, I'll admit, to rig the match and while I was immobilized take my stuff by force-trading and then killing me... who wouldn't love that glory, to have slain the infamous beater... It was a grim thought to think about my near death, but I managed to avoid it, and that's all that matters.

He was twice as shocked when 'I' disappeared again, shaking in bafflement and disbelief. I charged my blade and swung a clean hit on his back which struck him to floor. I then removed my Cloak with another hotkey and it disappeared to my inventory. I stood above them with an untamed look of revulsion.

"Get. Lost. I've beaten both of you now, and this is the second time I've had to deal with you assholes... don't make it a third, because that's when I'll kill you..." I ended on a threatening note. They gulped and shook their heads nervously watching me as though I was a rattlesnake staring them down. I sighed heavily, but at least that was over. I turned and left without a glance back. I could hear the whispers behind my back but I ignored their comments and headed up the stairs.

_Fuck... _I thought. _I may have won, but I revealed some of my stuff in the process... I'll need to be more careful in the future..._

I really didn't feel the need to show off my gear. Sure I liked to be fancy and all, but not unnecessarily. I needed tricks up my sleeve, should I ever have to pull out a hidden ace. Leaked knowledge like that would leave me with less resources in my arsenal... still, if not for the Cloak I had won earlier, today might've been game over for me... that was a nerve-wracking thought but I was relieved at still being alive. I wondered what would've happened if I did get paralyzed though... would they just let me die?... I know Asuna would've done something... but what if she couldn't stop them?...

I buried this extremely distressing thought and proceeded to activate the tenth floor «Teleport Gate». The geographic layout for this particular floor seemed to be very grassy with rocks littered among the ground. There was a small desert somewhere to the west. I'm not sure if I was hearing things, but I think I heard a hiss coming from, I supposed, a snake in the grass.

The walk to the Main town calmed my nerves and helped me forget the fight, at least for now. I regretted having to use my previously hidden equipment, but I suppose the situation called for it and it couldn't be avoided... Argo was going to bother me like hell, though...

I needed a new coat, now that I thought about it. It's not that my current «Coat of Midnight» was subpar per se, but I felt that new threads would help both practically and aesthetically. For those who didn't know my face, I could at least try to throw off attention. Clothes do make the man... kind of.

I rested leaning against a wall in an alleyway(pretty shady I know, but no one's here). I closed my eyes and prioritized what I had to do. I sighed serenely. At least I was alone here...

...And jinx. Moment's gone, and I was tapped on the shoulder.

* * *

"Asuna?... What're you doing here?" Kirito asked surprised. His eyes showed suspicion at first, but then it melted into a look of controlled calmness and his expression was of grudging politeness waiting for my reply. He hadn't changed, rather, he reverted back to his mask...

"I just wondered if you were alright," I said coldly, but inside I was glad he wasn't hurt. I caught sight of the paralysis on that other guy. That was a scary moment, and my first reaction was to rush out there to help him, but I guess he had it under control...

"I'm here, aren't I?" He said bluntly without facing me. I wish he could've refrained from answering so emptily. I could tell he wanted to avoid conversation, but I didn't care. I came here to ask him something important. After witnessing him almost dying, I realized I might not have gotten a chance to, or ever again...

"You could've died," I said fiercely and that shook him out of his place. He looked away with a painful expression which confirmed he knew what I was talking about. It hurt to see that emotion cross his face, but we weren't really on good terms anymore, so I continued my confrontation without pause.

"I was worried you know..." I said with a little difficulty admitting it, but his expression changed slightly signaling his invitation for me to go on. "If you died today... how much that would change everything... how much it would change me..." I said a little agonizingly. I saw his expression turn a little guilty but he said nothing. Instead he looked like he was about to give in, but turned away and started walking.

_Ugh... the nerve of this guy... _I thought agitated with his behavior but I called out to him.

"Why'd you do it?" I asked in a demanding tone. He stopped in his tracks and held his head down. A few awkward seconds passed before I repeated my question.

"Why'd. You. Do. It?" I asked emphasizing every word. He knew what I meant and it must've felt painful to hear. But I wanted to know. I might not get a chance again. The recent incident left me afraid for his safety. He looked like he was struggling to answer me, but he finally did, barely turning enough so that I could see the side of his face.

"There's a time and a place for that. I have business to take care of," he said and almost made to leave, but he stopped himself.

"If you want to find out sooner, tell me where I can find a good tailor," he said briefly. That wasn't what I wanted to hear, but I guess I had no choice but to cooperate. I didn't want to leave things in this condition.

"I know someone reliable. She's looking for a place to settle down, but if you ask around, you'll find her. Her name's Ashley. And she... has certain standards, but she's the most skilled tailor I know. She made my uniform," I added as an afterthought. He nodded in acknowledgement and turned his head back. I looked down in disappointment. I was hoping he would give me a real answer, but I guess there were other times... hopefully. Knowing him, he was unlikely to die so carelessly. Today's encounter would only make him stronger. Helping him was the least I could do...

Suddenly, he took my hand. It was gentle, but firm at the same time. I looked at our intertwined right hands, then at him. They say eyes are windows to the soul, and I could almost see the message he was trying to convey towards me. He wasn't smiling, but he gave a sorrowful but sympathetic look. He blinked but continued to look intently at me.

"I'm sorry..." he said genuinely regretful. "Give me a little more time... it'll all come clear... one day..." he finished solemnly drifting off. He let go of my hand. I felt saddened but a little less anxious, and a little more hopeful. I was reassured by his words, and I would hold him to it. He made to leave. I asked him one last question.

"Promise?" I said wonderingly. He turned back towards me. I saw the slightest of smiles cross his face. He held up his right pinkie and I wrapped mines around his in the sign of a promise, and we shook on it. I smiled very slightly.

"Promise," he said, and started walking away.

"_God, you're hard to figure out..." _I whispered and he must've caught that because he gave an amused scoff.

"This coming from a girl..." he said in mean, mocking voice. But I could hear the playfulness hidden within it. Almost like old times... I sighed.

_"Baka..."_ I said annoyed. But I smiled anyway.

**A/N And I will end it on that note. I know most of this chapter was narrative, but future chapters will contain more dialogue, so don't worry. Again, sorry for the wait, but hopefully that was worth it. I didn't want all of you to stay depressed(if you were) after Kirito split off from Asuna, so yeah. It's not completely ruined between, but we'll see the recovery of their relationship later. Also, a question aimed at the female audience reading this: How is my interpretation of Asuna? I'm just curious, but seeing as I'm a boy, I wouldn't have the total grasp of what a girl sounds like when she thinks or talks. I'm just using my past experiences with girls, observations and logical deduction. I'd really like to know how close or not I am to interpreting Asuna. Anyways, I'm going to be working on the next chapter tomorrow after I post this. I was originally planning to make this one longer, but I changed my mind. Don't worry, I will find the time to finish this story before summer vacation ends. I hope... please keep in mind I also have work and chores, along with gaming and anime ^^ but I will dedicate enough of my time for you guys, so thank you for all those who have kept up with the story so far. I'll try to make the next chapter longer. Let's say... over 9000? Jk, couldn't help it, but maybe it will. Anyways, thanks again and please R&R~ **


	7. Red Rumor

**A/N Hi guys, I'm back with more! It feels weird that half of summer vacation is over, but I hope that'll be enough time. In any case, I'm going to have to balance out my schedule more. I appreciate all the patience from those who are following this story so far and enjoyed it. When I get done with my summer homework, I'll try to squeeze in more chapters and speed it up a bit. Don't hope for too much though, there are limits to even _my_ ability... Anyhow, happy reading~**

"You're late," I said methodically annoyed.

Argo had arrived just now to our planned meeting. We were in an empty bar on the 10th floor. The tiles were olive green and the wood mahogany. I was sitting on a wooden stool, which incidentally, also spun. However, conforming to my age, I did not partake in such childish endeavors, because society judges...

"God, you're pushy..." Argo said pretending to be hurt. After all this time, she never changed...

"We're NOT on a date, so I don't care," I said indifferently. Truthfully, I could be more polite, but I at least, didn't have time for formalities.

"So if we _were _on a date, you'd be nice?..." Argo teased me. I gave her a blank stare.

"Don't push your luck," I said coldly.

"Fine, fine. Be that way... just for that I'm gonna cost you extra this time," she retorted. I rolled my eyes.

"I need to find someone named Ashley," I said tersely. Argo's eyebrows raised themselves in surprise.

"The seamstress? Why _ever_ would you need to find someone like her?... Could you possibly be-"

"No," I said abruptly, quelling any insinuation she might've been concocting in her devious little head.

"Really?" She said doubtfully playful. I gave her a hard stare as my response. She sighed and gave in.

"You're so mean, Kii-bou... I just wanted to have a 'little' fun..." Argo said resigned. I gave a slightly incredulous expression. 'Little' was an understatement...

"So what do you want from her?" Argo said finally serious. I deliberated on how I was going to phrase this.

"I'm looking to... request a new outfit from her. Asuna referred me to her," I said hesitantly watching Argo's expression. She was smirking, and I was regretting this meeting.

"I see... so basically you're shopping," she put simply.

"No... I'm making business," I said defensively.

"Right. The business of shopping," she said unrelentingly.

"Would you stop that? It's completely professional matters," I said nearing the end of my rope.

"You're so cute when you're angry," Argo said teasingly. I scowled at her heavily.

"That's not funny..." I said humorlessly.

"I'm serious, Kirito..."

"Why do you have to make me sound like a girl?" I inquired agitated. She gave an insufferable smirk.

"Well, now that you mention it, with the smooth skin, feminine looks, and tsundere attitude, all we need to do is replace your Y chromosome and-"

"Shut up..." I said miffed. My pride was wounded and I didn't feel like talking anymore. Tsundere?... what the hell was she talking about... I'm Kirito-dere... but that's not a real term, so I guess kuudere would be close enough...

"I'm messing with you, lighten up, princess," she joked and I did not feel consoled by her contradictory statement which defeated the purpose of the intention.

"I should find a less annoying info dealer..." I muttered aggravated.

"Alright, alright. Calm down... if you're looking for Ashley, you'll find her at the east inn. She hasn't settled down yet, so don't expect her to stay there forever. Picky girl, but maybe that's your type..." Argo said innocently suggestive. It took a great amount of effort to repress my immediate response to that comment.

"Anything else?" I said strictly professional.

"Before you go charging in all cavalier, you should know she has certain 'requirements' before you can request an order from her. Even then, the price isn't exactly a bargain... You'll want to get topnotch quality material before she considers the job. But I assure you, the investment is worth it," Argo promised me. That sounded like an adequate amount of info, so I decided to get up and leave. I tossed her a bag of leftover money, and walked to the door. Argo made one more comment.

"Hey Kii-bou?" She called after me suggestively. I turned to listen and felt as though I would regret it.

"Ashley-san happens to have just turned twenty... and she's quite the brunette, so..."

"I DON'T wanna hear it," I said clapping my hands to my ears and running away. My auditory perception was obstructed, but I could imagine Argo laughing at me after I left.

* * *

I walked rather nervously to the east inn. During my grinding periods from previous floors, I had accumulated quite the abundance of materials. I sold most the run-of-the-mill ones which comprised the majority of my profits. But since I had spent hours of unadulterated grinding sessions, I managed to acquire a few high quality materials in stock. I hoped that this would be enough.

I arrived at my destination. I walked over to the threshold and turned the knob. I allowed myself in and was greeted by an NPC. She was an elderly old lady who was busy sweeping the floor. This was apparently a dinnerware store because I examined rows of finely made plates and neatly polished cups and such. There was only one other person here. There was a woman sitting near the window scrutinizing the length of a red thread with a needle. I approached her and coughed to make my presence known. She turned towards me and I felt the impression of being analyzed critically. I almost started twiddling my thumbs, which was not very manly.

"And you are?" She said expectantly. I resolved to stop averting my eyes and face her. In the process I managed to take in her appearance.

She was as young as Argo had described, maybe even more so. Her face was pale but with pink cheeks and a smoothly curved chin. Her hair was a dark chocolate brown, tied in a bun with stray hairs sporadically spiking out giving a certain stylish flair. Her eyes were green and she wore pure white shirt with flowery decorations. She also adorned a dark blue skirt which hung above knee length, with designer markings. She wore caramel sandals and glittering silver earrings. I took note that she also had golden highlights in her hair. She was undeniably, very beautiful and I can't believe I was technically checking her out...

"I um... was wondering if you were the famous Ashley I heard about..." I said very bashfully. Her critical gaze alleviated slightly when she heard that remark.

"And if I am?..." She said indifferently. I weighed my best options on how to respond.

"I was wondering if you could... make an outfit for me. I have the materials, don't worry... you can, uh, judge them for quality," I said and opened a trade menu. It listed the following:

«Arachnid Silk» x 3  
«Blue Dragon Leather»  
«Molted Snakeskin» x 3  
«Diamond Scales» x 20  
«Silver Stallion Mane Hair» x 4  
«Lion Mane Hair» x 5

I had no idea how much these particular items were actually worth, I just judged them by their value rankings. All items were put on a scale of A to F. When you reached higher levels, there were such ratings such as AA and AAA. The rarest of them all were S rankings. None had been seen in the game so far, but it was referenced in books and rumored by people. I'm pretty sure if I ever ran into one, I would keep it, but I would consider selling if I had no use for it.

Ashley finished examining my offered materials. She gave me a neutral expression and asked me simple question.

"What's your name?" She said rather politely. Shit. I knew that was going to come up. I thought about lying but something about her expression told me not to.

"Kirito..." I said cautiously in a quiet manner. Well, there goes that ship... I was hoping for a successful transaction.

"I see. So _you're _the Beater I've heard about," she said dragging out the emphasis on 'you're'. I closed my eyes and braced for the impact. I met the impact, but not the one I was expecting.

Suddenly I felt smothered and suffocated. What was this soft feeling in my face?...

"UWAHHH! YOU'RE SO CUTE!" Ashley said and suddenly I knew what was happening. My face reddened and I tried to speak out a muffled reply. She let go of me, for which I was thankful... kind of.

"I'm sorry!" She said apologetically for unintentionally asphyxiating me. "But you're JUST like Asuna said you'd be..." she continued approvingly. I felt embarrassed and curious at the same time. Asuna talked about me?

"Umm... do you happen to remember what she said?" I asked trying to be casual. She of course picked up on this and smiled teasingly. The escape from Argo seemed pointless now...

"Oh, I don't know... she said something about you being an 'unbelievable' idiot with an unbearable personality to back it up... but also very sweet and caring," she added tenderly. I smiled inwardly. That sounded about right to me.

"She also told me a little bit about the real you... I hope you don't mind, it's a girl thing," she elaborated and I'm not sure how I felt about that. What exactly did she know?...

"Pretty much everything," Ashley said as though in response to my thoughts. Scary... I guess my face gave it away... Note to self: stop being painfully obvious.

"You don't have to worry," she added gently and I finally looked at her again without feeling awkward. "I was beta tester too, I was just more interested in something a bit more... expressive. I've always had a thing for clothing and accessories. It makes me feel proud to create extravagant works of art... that you can wear no less!" Ashley exclaimed enthusiastically.

"I can respect that," I nodded acknowledging her pursuit. It took time to refine your own skills, so meeting another person of similar dedication created an unspoken equality.

"Awwww, you're so nice," Ashley said adoringly. "Asuna said you teased her a lot... what, am I not good enough to play with?" She said accusingly. I sweatdropped.

"No, not at all! I was just... trying to make a good impression..." I mumbled and drifted into timid silence. She patted my head gingerly and I felt discomforted but oddly pleased.

"I see why Asuna is obsessed with you now..." she divulged casually. I fought the urge to blush.

"That's a strong word... I doubt she is though, not after..." I trailed off into guilty silence. Ashley picked up my chin with her delicate fingers making me face her.

"You know, she still is worried about you. I heard about your little 'stunt' back on the first floor... very admirable, and you have my appreciation," she said and I felt a little better.

"Kirito, do you ever regret your decision?" She asked me genuinely. I scrunched up and tried to formulate an acceptable response. She was talking about _that _night. Obviously I held regrets, I was only human. But I did it because it was right, not because it was easy. Dumbledore would've said so...

"I... thought it would be best in the long run," I said grudgingly. I couldn't really afford to face her these days without a bit of awkwardness. This was my choice though, so I suppose it didn't affect me as much as it should have...

"I understand," Ashley said and I raised my head up a little hopeful. She gave me endearing eyes and I felt comforted by the intensity of her gaze.

"Just promise me one day, you'll tell her, and face your fears. She told me quite a bit about herself, you know. I met her when she was looking for a tailor to accommodate her with a custom uniform. Girls usually consider fashion important if you haven't picked that up," she joked and I smiled lightly.

"I don't know if you see it, but she's an **awful** lot like you," Ashley said and I raised an eyebrow in question.

"I don't quite follow..." I said a little skeptical at her comparison.

"Well, for one, you're both quite fond of fighting on the frontlines," she pointed out. Okay, she got me there...

"Two, you're both fighting for someone important," she added smirking at me and I looked to the side, pouting but touched by this revealed fact nonetheless.

"Three, you're trying so hard to prove something, and that's noble, but... I see that you still fail to realize a few flaws in your reasoning... as expected of growing children though..." she said a bit patronizing and I crossed my arms.

"Is that so? And pray tell, what would that be?" I asked in an unconvinced tone. I got sensitive around hearing doubt placed against me, if you don't remember, you must've skimmed a chapter.

"Oh I'm not going to spoil you," Ashley said reproachfully but only halfheartedly so. "You'll have to figure that out on your own," she said waving her finger at me. Figures.

"In any case, you came here for my services, and I intend to please. These materials seem decent enough," she said assessing them again. She then sat down with her arm resting on the windowsill and her chin upon her hand.

"So what did you have in mind?" She asked patiently. I thought about that anteriorly.

"Well, it doesn't have to be fancy... just as good as this, or better if you could," I said taking off my trademark «Coat of Midnight» and presenting it to her. Ashley appraised it and murmured a few comments.

"I see. So like this you say?" She asked me wanting to be sure of my decision. I nodded.

"Yeah, preferably a dark color too," I supplied additionally. Nothing against the rest of the colors of the rainbow, but I liked darker colors because they, I don't know, made me feel more secure?... God, that is a really girly response...

"Hmm, I suppose you'd like it if it was black?" Ashley presumed. I smiled admittedly.

"Yes, please," I replied. She giggled at my formality.

"You know, I'm not THAT much older than you... you could afford to be a little more relaxed..." she said and I felt a little guilty.

"Sorry..." I said shyly. She shook it off.

"No, it's alright... I happen to find it endearing," she said cheerfully. I felt a little less tense when she smiled.

"Do you..." I said quietly. She turned to the materials I had given her. She then asked me to wait downstairs while she brought down her appropriate equipment.

A little later she came back with a mannequin, sewing threads, scissors and so on and so forth. She started to work right away and I was amazed at her competence. It all seemed so graceful and professional. I watched as she measured the lengths expertly and cut away accordingly. It took about 6 hours with her skill but during that time we made pleasant conversation. She asked me about myself and I found myself telling her things I hadn't gotten to tell Asuna... strange, but I guess it was because Asuna was a more complicated matter. I also felt the subconscious need to confide in someone and I guess it just all fell out. I suppose we all need some help from time to time, and Ashley happened to be a good listener for my case.

I told her about my past, starting from when I was young, leading onto now. I don't know, I suppose I felt a kind of sisterly vibe from her. This made me feel guilty about neglecting my own 'sister'. She caught this on my expression and I explained further. After 3 hours or so, I told her more or less all there was to know about me. Of course I didn't intend to disclose all my personal information, I just wanted to give an accurate account of myself to her.

After I fully expressed myself, it was her turn. She told me how she followed after her mother, an equally beautiful woman with exceptionally skill and taste in clothing. However, she reported that her mother's father was adamantly strict and obstinately believed his daughter's 'hobby' was impractical and useless in the real world. After many disputes, Ashley and her mother split off from her grandfather and went to live in the city. Ashley was only 14 when she came into the urban world of Kawagoe City. She also had a little sister, who by now should be a year younger than me. Her mother's father always scolded her on wasting her time on a senseless pursuit of being a seamstress. She argued that a person should be free to make whatever choice they wanted for an occupation because she didn't remember anyone dictating him into becoming a CEO of a company. He countered that the way his daughter was going, no man would ever want to desire her as a housewife and that was the last straw. Ashley confessed that her mother cried after hearing such harsh words but resolutely decided to move away in the end. I felt sympathetic for her and her mother and she expressed her gratitude with a warm smile.

Afterwards, Ashley felt inspired by her mother and decided to follow in her footsteps. Her mother gave her the confidence to pursue her passion and be proud of it. Her sister, in turn, began to admire her sister's devotion and wanted to learn how to become a seamstress as well. They seemed like a happy family, and I felt a little envious.

When she beta tested the game, she invested all her time learning the mechanics of sewing and trying out many materials and designing creative patterns and decorations. She had enjoyed the beta, but like me, had no idea the hammer had yet to drop. When she was teleported to the center plaza, Kayaba's announcement shook her resolve. She grew saddened like many did and felt like giving up. I remembered the first death was not because of getting killed, but because of suicide. Someone who couldn't accept the gravity of the situation decided to try and escape. Needless to say it failed, and yet dozens had followed... but some did it out of madness and that was even more depressing to know.

Ashley had all but given up, but remembered her mother had told her to follow her passion, despite those who may doubt you. She resolved to continue perfecting her sewing skill and by providing everyone with bright, vivid looking clothes to change the scenery and rekindle hope. If she could find a purpose even in this world, it could inspire other people to do the same. I felt honored to get the opportunity to meet Ashley. I guess every little effort counted.

She finally finished modelling my new outfit. She asked me to judge her work and I complied.

"So what do you think?" She asked modestly. I inspected it from the collar to the coattails.

It was a simple design. It was black with a blue stripe on each arm and another two pointed diagonally from the front to the back in a upside down V shape. There was also a yellow crescent on the left side chest area. I slipped into it and it felt smooth and comfortable.

"The outside is the Blue Dragon leather, I dyed most of it black for you," she said and I smiled appreciatively.

"The inside is laced with Silver Stallion Hair to tighten the seams. The smooth coating you feel in the sleeves and throughout the coat is the Arachnid Silk. I hope it's satisfactory?" Ashley asked smiling gently.

"I'd be lying if I said no. It's very impressive," I confessed honestly, eliciting a modest reaction from Ashley who said to stop lavishing her in compliments.

"I'm glad you're happy," she said politely. "Now about the price..." Her expression turned evilly sinister and she gave an innocent smile. I started panicking. Ha ha... right. The price... I gulped.

"How- how much?" I asked anxiously hoping I had saved up enough. Argo warned me about this but I wasn't sure anymore.

"Oh I don't know, maybe half a million Col?... You did say it was**_ 'very impressive'_**, after all..." she said winking at me humorously. I did not feel the amusement whatsoever. But I resigned quickly... a deal's a deal...

"Fine," I said sighing a little dejectedly. I moved my hand to access my funds and opened up a trade menu. I closed my eyes and reached forward to press the 'yes' button when she stopped me.

"Wow. I thought you would put up more of a fight. You took that seriously?" Ashley said smiling a little disbelievingly. I felt really stupid...

"But... I thought you charged high prices," I said perplexed at her remark. She smiled sympathetically and patted me on the head. I felt really indignant and naïve...

"Naturally. But I happen to like you... you're a very special customer..." she said suggestively. I felt my face heat up and started staring at the ground determinedly as though it were the greatest thing since sliced bread.

"So- so- how should I repay you then?" I asked flustered. The apprehension in my voice was all too clear. Ashley seemed to be toying with me.

"I think we can work something out... don't worry. I'll come up with something..." she said dangerously ambiguous. That did not sound good... or maybe it did since I was only an adolescent with raging hormones that I had kept restrained until now. But I slapped myself mentally. NO GOD DAMN IT THINK ABOUT ASUNA.

"Maybe you could..." Ashley said wonderingly.

"I could what..." I asked... hopefully? Oh god...

"Help me find a place to settle down!" She exclaimed figuring out the perfect payment to my debt. Oh... I didn't know whether I felt relieved or disappointed... but I'm pretty sure I got friendzoned...

"Sure..." I said offhandedly. Her eyes brightened and so did her smile.

"Really? You don't have to, I have plenty of other things you could help me around with when I finally find the right place to settle down my business," she said generously. I shook my head with a fake smile.

"No, I insist," I said decisively. She accepted my response and nodded.

"Fair enough," she said. Did she sound... a little disappointed? No, it was probably my imagination... I checked the time. 8:15 PM. Damn, that was pretty late. But I planned on hunting later anyway. I turned to exit the premises.

"Leaving without saying goodbye?" Ashley said hurtfully. I forgot in my haste to leave to give a proper farewell. Embarrassed I turned back.

"Sorry, Ashley. Goodbye and I hope to see you soon," I said respectfully. She smiled nicely but looked like she still had something to say.

"Hmm, I would say the same, but look at the weather..." she said pointing outside and I directed my eyes to the windows. It was pouring hard where the sun was just a few hours ago. Of course it was raining...

"Guess you'll have to stay here, huh?" Ashley suggested. She was hinting at something, that much I could tell. I was suspicious and became wary of what I said next.

"Yeah I guess I'll have to..." I spoke cautiously.

"You'll need a place to sleep then," she pointed out obviously.

"Yeah, I guess I do..." I said quietly.

"Then how about my room?" Ashley offered innocently. I almost started coughing. _WHAT?_

There was no way I was going to enter a girl's room. Sure, I invited Asuna once to my room, but that was different... This scene was completely incomparable and according to the movies, I didn't like the ending.

"Thanks... but no thanks, I think the floor will do..." I said politely declining. I thought she would consent to my terms, but she started dragging me upstairs when I wasn't looking.

"Oh no, I **insist,** Kirito-chan..." She said cheerfully as she ignored my protests that were profusely spilling from my mouth. _  
_

"You **owe **me," Ashley said in a threatening manner. I conceded after that...

_Oh boy..._

* * *

Well... how should I say this. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. But at the same time, it was. Maybe worse.

Nothing scandalous happened if that's what you're wondering... though if you thought so, I was fooled too, quite thoroughly.

Ashley made me try out new dresses that she had kept under wraps until now. Needless to say, cross-dressing is **extremely **awkward for guys at least. I was forced into several outfits all the while bearing Ashley's comments on how I looked.

"Awww, you wook adorwable..." she said in a baby voice. By now my self esteem was crushed and my pride was mortally wounded. The only consolation was that no one else was here to see this... that would've been the status killer.

Although it was highly mortifying, I have to admit, wearing skirts actually felt comfortable... and with that thought, I was convinced I had lost it.

Fortunately, like all bad things, there was an end. At least for the most case... thankfully this case.

"A job well begun is half done," Ashley said optimistically. I could see no light to this situation though...

"What does that mean?" I asked dryly.

"You've paid up half of your debt," she elucidated. _Half? _That was _half?_ I couldn't wait for the other part then...

"That sounds promising..." I said sarcastically. I wondered how much more suffering I could endure... honestly I think I'd rather take on a boss single-handedly.

"Don't complain, Kirito-chan, beggars can't be choosers," she said knowingly. I was confused.

"I don't remember begging..." I said quietly.

"Really? Let's say I were to tell Asuna about today..." she smirked devilishly. I became highly distressed and chose to immediately submit to her will. I can't believe I was going to be defeated like this... The Alpha getting conquered without a sword being drawn... apparently this was the day the strength of men failed...

"I get it, I give up," I said despondently. A shame to go out like this, it was almost as though she planned it...

"That's a good Kirito-chan," Ashley said patting my head. Girls are evil...

"You don't have to insult me further..." I muttered bothered by the honorific.

"What are you talking about, I really think you are cute, you just have to loosen up," she said sagely. Loosen up... right.

"You're holding a figurative knife to my throat, how do you expect me to loosen up?" I accused pointing out the foreboding blackmail.

"Tsk tsk. That's exactly what I'm talking about. It's getting pretty late, brush up and get ready for bed," Ashley said in a motherly voice. I can't believe this...

Once the lights were out, I tried to fall asleep on the floor. Ashley would have none of that and dragged me up to her bed.

"Uhh... don't you think this is..." I tried to reason out the proximity of our bodies.

"Romantic?" She interjected and I was taken aback. **_Romantic?_** That was the last thing I was thinking about...

"..." Was the only thing I could say as I turned away from her to hide my flustered expression. To no avail was I able to escape though, as she suddenly snaked her arms around me in a vice grip.

"You didn't think you would get away so easily, did you?" She asked rhetorically. I sighed dismally.

"I have to try..." I said crestfallen. She giggled at me.

"Say, you don't bat for the other team, do you?" Ashley asked innocently. I felt my face redden at the inquiry.

"Where did **_that _**come from?! No I don't swing that way!" I declared vehemently denying her sudden accusation. She continued to croon at my antics.

"You're so cute when you're angry," she said echoing Argo. Ugh, not this again...

"I'm going to sleep and you can't stop me. Now could you please let go?" I asked bluntly. She declined my request.

"No, you're my pillow Kirito-chan... so soft and cuddly..." she noted moaning comfortably. I facepalmed myself.

"Did you just objectify me?" I whispered incredulously.

"Hmm? Did you say something Kirito-chan?" Ashley yawned. I gave up on trying any further.

"Never mind... it was just the sound of my dignity being demolished and thrown into the fires of hell..." I said morosely.

"That's nice..." she said blissfully.

"You're not even listening..." I said dispirited.

"Can't say I am," she responded truthfully. Ouch...

I sighed miserably. I wanted to stay up late outside risking my life, not being used as a mere pillow...

_Oh how the mighty have fallen..._ I thought deprecatingly.

* * *

The next morning I woke up refreshed despite the previous ordeal the other night. I blinked repeatedly to arouse my foggy senses. The clouds beyond the window were light grey and there was a breeze outside. I think I caught a slight ray of sunshine. Well, it was better than yesterday...

I felt something laying on me. I turned to see Ashley lying down on my chest and I almost shouted. Oh right... now I remember...

I didn't want to give her a rude awakening, so I shook her shoulder lightly. She stirred and slowly opened her eyes.

"Morning, pillow-chan..." she said innocently. Oh come on...

"I would appreciate you lay off that nickname..." I said tiredly. She smiled sweetly at me like poisoned honey.

"Would princess-chan be better?" She suggested playfully but I could see the malice in her intentions.

"On second thought, being a pillow is less degrading..." I said rejecting the new nickname.

"Awww... you're shy," she said teasingly.

"Is that a compliment?" I said distastefully.

"It is if you want it to be," she said openly and I sighed for like the nine-thousandth time. She got up from me and offered a hand to pull me up.

"Come on, I'll make breakfast," Ashley said cheerfully. If only all of us could be that upbeat...

After a hearty serving of buttered toast, blueberry muffins, an apple and a glass of milk, I felt revitalized in order to carry out my grinding session today. The boss battle would commence in 3 days. I was ready to leave right after finishing my meal.

"Well, Ashley-san... thanks for everything... I think," I added uncertainly but nonetheless sincere. She waved away my appreciation and smiled.

"Don't die out there, you still have a payment to uphold," she reminded me and I rolled my eyes but nodded.

"Yeah, I'll keep that in mind..." I said making a mental note. She sighed wistfully.

"I'm almost jealous you know," Ashley admitted and I looked at her curiously.

"Why's that?" I asked genuinely.

"Asuna got to meet you first," she said simply and I pretended to be very interested about the weather outside.

"Is- is that right?" I said falteringly. She nodded shamelessly.

"But I suppose we'll meet again... someday..." she said dolefully.

"You make it sound as though I'm leaving forever," I pointed out. She smiled at me mischievously.

"Oh, of course you're not... I know you want to come back for more..." she hinted flirtatiously winking. Something started hurting and it took me only a second to realize it. Perhaps there is one 'monster' that all men can never fight back against...

"You're talking about clothes... right?" I asked abashedly. She smirked so cruelly.

"Take care, Kirito-chan... it was fun while it lasted... and don't be too hard on Argo..." Ashley said humorously. But that revealed the source of this entire mess.

_Damn it! I knew something was up... I swear to God I'm gonna hunt her down and give her a piece of my mind! This was not funny, I've never been so embarrassed in my-_

"Are you alright, Kirito-chan? You look tense," Ashley asked concernedly. I shook my head and offered a feigned smile.

"It's nothing... I'm just plotting revenge... against a certain someone..." I said darkly. She giggled at my revelation.

"I'm sorry, but Argo kept insisting I play along with her, I didn't mean for it to go this far..." she said remorsefully.

"It's nothing unexpected I guess..." I sighed out.

"If I played with your heart too much, I'm sorry. Hmm, you **_do _**look a little tense, perhaps you'd like a massage?" Ashley offered suggestively. "As you may have noticed, being a seamstress is not the _only_ thing I'm good at with my hands..." This was too much... I was mentally headbashing the wall.

"While that is a _tempting_ proposition, I think I'll take a rain check..." I said nervously with my hands up to emphasize my resolution.

"It's your choice," she said fairly. I felt a bit relieved.

"You know, even without Argo's scheming, I still find you quite charming," she admitted. I pulled at my collar in anxiety.

"Oh... thanks I suppose..." I said humbly accepting the compliment.

"Perhaps in a few years, if you're interested..." she alluded alluringly. I felt embarrassed but finally I regained my composure.

"I'm flattered, but... that's kind of unlikely... maybe if Asuna doesn't forgive me," I said objectively. She smiled at me reverently.

"That's so touching," she said admiringly clasping her hands over her heart. I smiled sheepishly.

"I guess I should get going," I confessed intending to maintain my schedule. She crossed the room to hug me tightly which I awkwardly returned, but at least this time she lowered her standing so I wasn't suffocated again. She then pressed a soft kiss on my left cheek. I felt warm and fuzzy but also a bit embarrassed.

"Good luck, Kirito-chan. Make me proud," she said bidding me farewell.

"I will. And I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention this to Argo or Asuna... especially Asuna..." I said fearfully thinking what would happen if she was informed of this. I hoped to God she didn't turn yandere...

"Oh I'm not _that_ mean..." Ashley joked, but I was not entirely convinced.

"Undoubtedly..." I muttered in slight disbelief.

"Before you go, take this too. Consider it a gift," she said as she handed me a second black coat complete with a studded belt. This one was similar to the blue striped coat I wore, which I called 2nd generation Midnight. This additional one was purple striped instead with red star where the yellow crescent should be. Also, instead of a collar, there was a hood with a single stripe leading down the middle. I supposed I would call this one 3rd gen Midnight.

"This one's water-resistant. You know, in case it rains again..." she smirked facetiously. Ha ha... very funny.

"You're spoiling me," I said, but accepted the gift graciously nonetheless.

"You can spoil me next time when we start dating," she jested and I rolled my eyes with a flushed face.

"Uh huh... I look forward to it..." I said dryly.

* * *

After that little incident, I could finally get back to being serious. I traveled to the field northwest, which was devoid of other players. I took out my Knightsword and the Anneal and flourished it to regain the feel of handling the weight. I had missed being out alone dual-wielding to my heart's content. As a reunion with my blades, I went on a rampage slaughtering seven-hundred slithering serpents. What a twister.

It was dark when I finished up grinding and the moon gave a radiant glow. Tonight it was waning, and it resembled the crescent on my coat. A good omen? I hoped so.

I collapsed on the soft field of grass and started thinking.

It was about 3 months into this 'game'. January was almost over. I realized I had forgotten about New Year's. But I guess it was only natural... did it matter anymore? I couldn't make any of my resolutions possible anyway... had it finally gotten to me? Ashley had revived my hope, just for a bit. But when I thought about it, I was pathetically so far away from the end.

I wondered if my family had even celebrated New Year's. It'd be weird since I wasn't 'there'. An empty feeling hung in air and filled my chest. There was too much going on, and at the same time, it felt like nothing was happening. I struck the ground in anger. I hadn't noticed myself starting to breathe heavier.

How long would it take? Even if I was still alive, sometimes I thought about giving up and admitting Kayaba had won. This was his world, and I was trapped like a caged bird. What if I finally faced him, and it wouldn't be enough? He held all the cards in his hand, there was no telling what he would do. Do I even have the _chance _of a fair fight?

"Sugu..." I whispered into the night. Honestly, how much strength did I really have? I had the reason to fight, that much I knew. Save everyone, make up with Asuna, reunite with my family, right? What else did I have to stress out about? But then I realized, at the end I wouldn't be the same. I was afraid, and that made me weak, even though I tried not to show it. It was the fear of not knowing. How far was I willing to go? Did I really want the end to come so bad? I thought about the future, and I wished none of this happened in the first place.

Is this how Kayaba destroyed lives? Engendering fear and doubt that caused insanity? Maybe it was a byproduct of his god-centric plan, but I recognized the unintended effects. I started to question what I was doing. I tried to replace my weakness with anger and vengeance, but that made it worse. Honestly, killing Kayaba would be his rightful comeuppance, but escaping was what I really wanted. Was I just misplacing my true desires?

Then a new thought entered my mind. What if I didn't _want _to escape? That sounded ridiculous, but slowly fear crept on me. This was why I was trapped in the first place. An ironic twist of fate, which was, when I tried to escape one world, I ended up trapped in another... Reality against the virtual world... didn't I admit I felt more alive here? Wasn't I just getting what I wanted? What I asked for?

Before I could go on wondering whether I deserved my life sentence or not, I suddenly got the impression someone was watching me. I kipped up to my feet and «Searched» the area. There was figure with a hood watching me. As soon as I got sight of the perpetrator, they started running away toward the forest.

"HEY! Who are you?!" I called out loudly chasing after them. They did little to respond except quickening their pace even further.

_Damn, those are quick feet!_ I thought grudgingly impressed. If they were running like that, there was something worth hiding then.

I exerted all my effort into pursuing the fleeing target and started catching up. Unexpectedly, the person stopped, partially covered in the shadow of the forest. I thought I would have to chase them a bit further, but I was thankful for a respite.

"Who are you?" I reiterated my question. I couldn't make out the features but I saw a pale face. Perhaps it was the moon though. A few seconds passed and the person didn't respond. I slowly drew my hand to the Knightsword on my back. Finally the person spoke.

"Your sister would miss you, and it'd be your fault for giving up. Do you really want that?" The mysterious person asked. I froze up. I'm pretty sure I wasn't speaking aloud, so how did this person know about me? Were they closely eavesdropping on me and Ashley?

"No, I don't... just how exactly do you know that?" I demanded suspiciously.

"It doesn't matter how I know... it just matters what you **_do,"_**said the enigmatic person. What I did? Now that I listened closer to the voice, was that-

A bright flash illuminated the darkness for a split second, and I was blinded momentarily. When I blinked again to refocus my sight, the person had disappeared.

_Fuck... I wanted a real answer,_ I thought bitterly. I considered what the unknown person had said.

"My sister would miss me..." I repeated. After I had calmed down, I realized the verisimilitude to these words. I regained my resolve and all diffidence left my mind.

"I guess I have to keep fighting to find out," I concluded. That was what I felt truly. I hoped it would be worth it.

* * *

The 10th floor boss meeting took place in the afternoon. Kirito-kun walked in late with a pensive expression.

Tomorrow would be the battle to clear this floor. Being the tenth time we performed this, everyone was intimately familiar with the processions. We were at the city hall of the town. It was filled with at least a hundred players. After greetings were exchanged the talk began.

I was paying attention but my mind kept wandering on a more pressing matter. Some trouble had happened between a few players. Something about stealing and soon enough a fight broke out. It was mediated with no serious harm, but there seemed to be grudges instilled in those involved. Idiots.

In a situation like this, fighting among ourselves was counterproductive, and yet somehow it had happened. That was bad for order, and weakened unity. As a result of my personal concerns, I asked to investigate this matter privately requesting permission from Heathcliff. He agreed without so much as a nod and said he trusted my judgement. That sounded oh so familiar from a certain black-clad person...

The meeting went by relatively smooth. As soon as it was over, Kirito snuck out the door. I wanted to pursue him, but I had matters to attend to. I dived into the crowding masses and found one of the participants of the incident. I proceeded to question him until I was satisfied.

Apparently the person he disputed with had stole something from him and refused to give it back. After a while, he was provoked when one of the perpetrator's accomplices shoved him to the ground and pulled out a knife. It was a safe zone, so no real damage was done, but it was still a problem.

This was highly distressing and I decided to get some supplementary info from Argo. She was residing at the local bar when I tracked her down.

"So, what does the royal sub-commander of KoB want from me? My record's clean, I swear!" The smaller girl joked. I narrowed my eyes to signal I had no time for frivolity.

"Do you have any leads on recent disputes among players?" I asked curtly. Argo sighed tiredly.

"You too? Gosh, Kii-bou asked me the same thing..." Argo revealed and my curiosity was piqued slightly.

"Well?" I asked impatiently.

"I actually don't know, cause I really don't care. It doesn't concern me, you see, and it doesn't concern you either. You shouldn't worry about it, it's not as though it's a _real _problem..." Argo reasoned out. Realistically speaking, she was right. But I was an idealist so I wouldn't agree.

"Thanks for being helpful," I said sarcastically and turned to leave. Argo called out to me before I left though.

"Kirito had a feeling you'd be looking for answers, so he paid me to tell you this: 'be careful'," Argo said simply. I rolled my eyes but inside I was touched at the thought.

"Tell him he wasted that money then," I replied shortly. I didn't mean that, but he kind of deserved that for such a trivial expenditure.

"Hey wait up! You didn't pay me!" She complained. I left her hanging. How shallow of her.

* * *

We approached the boss doors. I chanced a glance over at Kirito. He was sporting a new coat and wielding his Knightsword. I wondered where he got the new outfit. The blue stripes gave his outward appearance a bit of a refreshment.

Then I realized it appeared as though I was checking him out so I turned away slightly flushed.

After the obligatory speech from Heathcliff, the doors were pushed in and the boss room came into sight.

It was covered with multiple shades of green. There were also surprisingly columns placed on the battlefield with holes in the ground and dens. Surrounding the circular area was a river of water, probably twenty-feet deep and ten-feet wide. This was unusual for a boss fight and I was apprehensive about the impending battle.

Suddenly we all froze. Literally.

The boss appeared with a hiss, slithering out to us. «King Basilisk» was the name and it was a pretty faithful rendition of the legend. Dark, forest green scales and venomous yellow eyes. Fangs of sharp demise and a flickering tongue of mockery as it played with its prey.

Had this been the real Basilisk in the legends, we would've all been wiped out immediately, but upon meeting its gaze, we all simply froze. I struggled to resist the effects and agonizingly reached for my sword. Modelling the boss completely after the original Basilisk would be overpowered. As much as I hated to admit it, this was at least slightly more fair than getting killed on sight. Kayaba at least gave us **_that_** much of a chance.

As the serpent's head turned to a specific target, I felt the immobilization lift. I quickly drew out my sword and took cover behind a pillar. Those who had been unfrozen followed my lead. Unfortunately, we heard a shattering sound effect, and one casualty was confirmed. I prayed for the fallen frontliner.

Heathcliff had somehow anticipated the boss and raised his shield to cover his line of sight. He moved to a strategic position in front to provide cover for everyone and soon his fellow shield members fell into place beside him.

This was when the boss took advantage of the specially designed arena. It intertwined its body with the pillars and moved around above us. It didn't help that its speed was remarkably quick and soon another player got swiped up in its jaws. What a predator.

I looked around for Kirito. He was nowhere to be seen. I knew he wouldn't run, so he must've had a plan. I prayed it would work, for all our sakes.

* * *

I never expected to encounter this type of opponent. Okay, it was pretty obvious it was going to be a snake, but a Basilisk? Kayaba sure was inventive...

As soon as I got unfrozen I covered myself with the «Cloak of Midnight». I started thinking and managed to improvise a plan. The greatest advantage this beast had was its eyes. I'd have to risk an eye for an eye so to speak. Unfortunately, since there was no phoenix to fly in and gouge out its eyes, I would have to do this manually.

_I've never gone bronc riding. Let's see how fun it is..._ I thought less hopefully.

The boss kept on sliding around everywhere using its environment to its advantage. It had chomped up 3 more unsuspecting people in rapid transitions around the field. Clever girl... or guy, whatever the gender was... I just wanted to say that line once...

I decided the high ground was the best shot I had to killing this thing. I started grabbing the vines around a pillar and climbed up to about 50 feet in the air. I started to feel nauseous from vertigo...

I didn't have to wait long for the serpent to burst out of the water and start slithering to find more prey. I timed my jump while pulling out my sheathed blade. As I fell dramatically, the Cloak fell off and disappeared to my inventory while I pulled out my Anneal, grasping it in my left hand. I landed on the Basilisk's head simultaneously stabbing both its eyes in reverse grip. Fuck yeah, double kill. Well, not exactly, but you get the point.

Enraged and injured, the boss started shaking wildly and I almost fell off if I hadn't gripped my swords embedded in its eye sockets. It then proceeded to give me a free ride around the battlefield like a carousel on steroids. Needless to say, it was quite a ride, but not **_that _**kind of ride...

Its health had decreased by 40% of a bar just for taking out the eyes. I'd have to remember that for future reference. As I continued to swerve around the place with my new best friend, the rest of the frontliners managed to take random hits at its underbelly, slowly decreasing its health into the red zone. I got plunged underwater a few times, resurfacing moments later soaked. I'm pretty sure I caught a few people smirking at me, but this time it seemed less hostile. I suppose the image was pretty amusing... for a spectator.

_Ugh... _I thought to myself. _Can you throw up in SAO?..._ I certainly felt like it. I never went to amusement parks often, but this was better and yet more terrifying than anything I had ever been on. Roller coasters, meet your maker...

I spent a straight 20 minutes being thrown around, but the thought of my sister kept me from letting go. It was breaking my tolerance level though...

"GOD DAMN IT! WOULD YOU- GRRR- STOP- AHHH- JERKING- WOAH- AROUND? YOU-" I didn't get to finish that sentence when the Basilisk gave a particularly violent thrash whipping in a new direction and I temporarily loss my grip on the Anneal and punched myself in the jaw. Oww... that shit actually hurt... perhaps because I hadn't taken a real hit in a long time. I was getting frail... not good. Better hit the gym next month...

"_Oh you're a fucking douchebag aren't you?"_ I directed at the serpentine asshole. "I'll have your lizard head on a spike..."

* * *

The Basilisk had me cornered so I had no choice but to stand my ground. It was charging blindly at a pillar and there was no time to dodge so I braced myself with the strongest «Linear» I could muster up.

As I stabbed the sword through its mouth, the tip stuck out of its head and it immediately burst into thousands of blue shards. However, before it died, it crashed into the pillar and sent Kirito on top flying with his swords held stubbornly in his hands. He slid near the edge almost taking a plunge and submerging once again into the cold water. I rushed over to him on instinct, ignoring the rest who were gathered here.

"Kirito! Kirito!" I shouted once I reached him and kneeled down to his level. He coughed up some water, and rolled over to face me. Painfully it seemed, he struggled to open his eyes which seemed to be spinning out of focus. That must've been beyond dizzying...

"How many fingers am I holding up?" I asked him seriously, while raising 4 fingers, excluding the thumb. He gave me a disoriented but questioning look like I was his kindergarten teacher asking what was one plus one.

"A few..." he answered slightly delirious. I sighed but smiled lightly at the same time. Technically that was correct, so I supposed it was close enough.

"Glad to see you're in check. Good thing you didn't die," I jested darkly. "Would've hurt our chances at getting out of this place," I gestured at the arena, but implied the entirety of Aincrad.

"I'm glad you care," he responded mirthlessly. I got up and started walking away. Then I turned around and threw a health potion at him.

"Unfortunately, yes I do. I would also like to request you stop being a hypocrite," I added briskly which raised his confusion. "You're one to tell me to be _**careful..."** _I said smirking disbelievingly. He scoffed at hearing his own advice and quickly brushed it off. After surveying the damage, I decided to rejoin my guild and head to eleventh floor.

On the way upstairs, I checked my Last Attack Bonus item. «Snakebiter» was the name, and it was a sea green color. It was another sword with a handle designed with a snake wrapped around it and an engraved serpent on both sides of the blade. The hilt also comprised of a snake head opening its mouth as though the sword was its tongue. Fancy. I read the description.

**This blade has more 'bite' than the average sword and is made of adamant infused with a Basilisk's fangs, melted and poured into the hollow insides to give the sword a poisonous essence. A clean cut will make the victim vulnerable to the effects of Basilisk venom, and will continuously decrease health and create rapid fatigue. The only cures to this effect are antivenom potions and Phoenix Tears. Note: Don't cut yourself.**

After finishing my perusal of the details, I refocused on keeping in march with my guild.

* * *

I continued lying down for about 5 minutes to recover homeostasis from the turbulence I had just put myself through. After finally regaining my senses, I walked to the next floor unsteadily, but surely. I needed to remind myself to never do that again...

The next main settlement was called «Taft». I assumed the «Teleport Gate» was already connected to the rest of the floors so I continued to search for a place to stay. I really needed the rest...

I felt myself sliding in and out of focus so I decided to sit down on a stone bench. As I rested, I took in the sights.

It was southern European styled, with stone floor streets. Most of the buildings weren't taller than two stories, and there was a cathedral with iron doors. A look in the distance revealed a bell tower and when I listened closely, I could hear water running. There must've been a drain or something under a bridge. There was a large main street as well.

The place looked friendly enough. It was getting late in the day and I could see the sun falling. I grew sleepy and couldn't resist losing my balance. As I lost consciousness, I felt someone catch me.

I don't know how long it was, but I still felt tired when I woke up. I didn't get up immediately, fuck that, it takes a lot to just wake up alone... I struggled to lift my eyelids which felt like weights. My blurry vision revealed the inside of a house. The paint color was yellow and butter pecan. I was on a sofa with my sword removed from my back. If I wasn't worn out as hell, that would've alarmed me enough to jump up in alert wariness. But I supposed if the perpetrator were to kill me, they would've done it already. My head was on something soft, then I heard a noise that made me become slightly more aware of my surroundings. Was this a pillow?... or...

I rolled my head back to look at the ceiling. Or at least I intended to when something obstructed my line of sight. _Someone_ rather...

"Is that... you, Asuna?..." I said haphazardly guessing that was whose lap I was resting in.

"Yeah, you wish," said the real Asuna standing by the doorway. She looked rather upset for some reason. Wait... if that was Asuna, then who?...

"Evening, Kirito-chan," said Ashley with a cheerful voice and a lopsided grin.

"Oh no..." I muttered disdainfully but without completely meaning it. She pouted and pretended to be hurt.

"Well that's no way to treat a friend... I thought we had something special, Kirito-chan... I mean I 'opened' up to you..." she said suggestively winking at the double entendre. I blushed unintentionally and practically felt Asuna fuming with anger. I gave Ashley a pleading look that purely stated, 'Please don't say shit that will get me killed'. She smiled innocently at me, as though she was unaware of the looming danger.

**_"Excuse_**_ me?"_ Asuna asked dangerously. She had scary eyes and a dark expression. I could almost see the demonic shadowy glow and emanating evil aura. I'm glad she wasn't a boss...

"Ashley-was-just-kidding!" I said quickly to clarify the ambiguous sentence. I hoped she would believe me. "We're **just **friends," I said resolutely. Asuna looked unconvinced however...

"Hmph. I bet you say that to all the girls..." she accused harshly. My spirits fell substantially. What exactly had I done to deserve this?...

"Uhh... no I don't. I mean," I said counting my fingers. "I know, what, 3 girls? I'm don't really consider Argo a 'friend', so yeah," I said reasonably. I also hoped Argo would never find out I said that. I didn't mean it... she was my friend... on certain days.

"Whatever..." Asuna said deliberately not looking at me. I sighed. I've got a **_really_** long way to go.

"Asuna, honey, loosen up. I was just kidding," Ashley admitted in my defense.

_About time you said that..._ I thought bitterly and Asuna's expression lightened up in relief.

"I mean, your 'friend' is very cute, but I'm already working on your wedding dress," she said a matter-of-factly. "I hope you guys have a great honeymoon!"

At that moment Asuna refused to stay any longer and mumbled something about reporting in and ran off. I caught a glimpse of her expression and it was of the uttermost embarrassment, with cheeks redder than a rose. That was on fire. Inside the sun. I clasped my hands in prayer for somebody listening to my desperate call of need.

"I thought that went well," Ashley said casually while stroking my head gently. I rolled my eyes at the joke with the greatest disbelief.

"I'm never forgiving you, Ashley..." I threatened distastefully. She gave a pretend look of being confounded.

**_"Whatever_** do you mean?" She asked teasingly. I gave her a tired expression.

"Quit it, fun's over," I said dryly. She pouted but relented to my request. I sighed and hoped this would die over the next few days.

"You know, when you fell unconscious, she came to visit you," Ashley revealed to me and my attention was caught. "I called her over because I thought she might like to know of your condition."

"All things considered, I think it would've been better if I _hadn't_ woken up..." I said bitterly in hindsight. Ashley smiled sympathetically at me. Oh _now_ you're sorry...

"A hero's gotta suffer sometimes," she said knowledgeably. I supposed that was true... to an extent.

"You didn't have to torture me like that though..." I said hurtfully. She patted my head like I was a lost puppy.

"I'm only messing with you because I like you," she said truthfully and if not for the current situation I would've been flattered.

"That's a funny way of showing it..." I countered. Do girls really act that mean to guys they liked?...

"Touché," Ashley confessed. "But I think it's best if you rest for now," she added. "We don't want you in poor condition, now, do we?"

"But-" I began to complain, but my argument was silenced by Ashley's cossetting as she pulled me in and held me tight.

"Hush, baby Kirito-chan, mama's here," she addressed me lovingly. I was really confused on what kind of affections she had for me.

"I don't want to be cuddled..." I said resiliently. She paid no heed to me however. I sighed inwardly.

_Another long night..._ I thought exhausted. I decided to just fall asleep. Before I did I looked outside at the weather.

_Of course it's raining..._

* * *

I won't bore you with the details of the 11th floor boss since it was relatively easy to conquer. Suffice it to say the frontliners and myself encountered a giant strapped with multiple armaments and heavy armor. Formidable at first glance, but at a second closer look, the opponent was slow enough that even a cactus-brain like Kibaou could've dodged his attacks. The battle ended within 10 minutes, however, due to my complacency during the fight, I let someone else slip in and steal the LA bonus. I suppose I deserved that, but I didn't really care. I had enough gear to get by with.

The twelfth floor was very... square-like. By that I mean the houses were organized neatly into even dimensions, and pretty much everything was a square or shaped similarly to that. Square doors, square windows, square fountains, square trees, square people... wait... okay, that was a bad joke but you know, be there or be square, right?... Ha ha... never mind.

In any case, within 4 days that floor was also cleared. The boss was... porky. And by that I meant it was a giant pig. No bullshit. It had demonically curved horns, blackened skin, and red eyes. A cliché color scheme that was never done before...

And with that battle being won, we moved on to the thirteenth floor. I should also mention that I had failed to obtain the LA bonus drop that time too... but I was so amazing it didn't matter.

The 13th floor was... odd. The general layout of the area was comparable to something out of a western movie with an abandoned town where the cowboy rode in to investigate cause he was stranded. Then he met some bad guys, fucked shit up, and got together with the girl like any other predictable ending. Needless to say, that wasn't the case. There was something strange about this place though... the grim grey gravel setting must've been getting to me. Still, I couldn't shake the feeling off...

I stayed in a rented room for a few days. I turned my schedule nocturnal and slept in the day, emerging out at night to grind relentlessly. I was now level 40. 10 skill slots were available to me and I had filled them all. For a quick recap I had:

«One-handed Straight Sword» 157/1000  
«Searching» 401/1000  
«Sprint» 501/1000  
«Tracking» 378/1000  
«Acrobatics» 343/1000  
«Detection» 407/1000  
«Night Vision» 365/1000  
«Parry» 505/1000  
«Howl» 425/1000  
«Hiding» 366/1000

Before you question my sword level, I'll have you know combat is a lot more demanding than it seems.

On another note, this time I was wiser in managing my time, despite my peculiar sleeping habits. I stopped to stare at the sunset every once in a while outside my window on the second floor. I still had a strange inkling in my head that wouldn't leave me alone. What was it?

I messaged Argo to arrange a meeting at the local bar. Why was it always a bar? None of us even drank... well... speaking for myself, I had no idea what Argo did _after_ I left... then again, if she did drink maybe that would explain her eccentricity... by the way, never let a girl hear that, or she will personally beat you.

I arrived early as always and awaited for Argo to show up. The drinks were too suspicious-looking for my taste, and discouraged me from ordering. I wonder where Argo was...

...And speak of the devil, there she was. As she opened the door and entered I noted she had actually made it on time. Well, a few seconds off the _exact _time, but I guess I shouldn't complain about the results. An improvement is still an improvement.

After she settled in, I offered to buy her a drink. She smiled sweetly at my gesture for courtesy.

"Aww, that's so nice of you, Kii-bou... trying to get lucky?" she teased. I sighed disdainfully.

_ What the fuck, why didn't this game have a mute button? Or at least a filter setting, preferences, anything... _I thought exasperated.

"I'm not here to trade meaningless words," I said unfriendly. "I'm here on important bus-"

"Yeah, I'll have a Long Island Iced Tea, extra long, with lime please," Argo called at the NPC bartender. I blinked in stunned silence. They _have_ that?!

"..." Was the only thing I could say. I'm not going to even bother...

After her drink arrived and I paid upfront, I refocused my attention to why I called her out in the first place.

"Any freelance jobs on the market?" I asked. "It also wouldn't hurt if you had info on the recent LA bonus drops," I added with a hint of subtlety.

"Hmm... let's see..." Argo pondered sipping on a straw at her highly alcoholic beverage while consulting a list. How the hell does she multitask like that?...

"Well, there are a few available... you could deliver these supplies to the orphanage on the 1st floor, always good to help out a needy cause... there's a request for a bodyguard back on the 6th floor, paranoid guy... that'll last 3 weeks though, but here's one! Hmm, wait, never mind that's illegal..." Argo muttered the last suggestion. I raised my left eyebrow in confused suspicion.

_It's probably better not to ask..._ I thought reflectively. I sighed blatantly unsatisfied.

"Okay. Let's list a few key terms. **Legal, lucrative, **and **_somewhat _**worthwhile so I don't end up wasting time..." I stated with annoyance explicit in my voice. Argo gave me a smirk.

"You could always help out Ashley-sama, I'm sure she would 'reward' you finely..." she said jokingly. I was about to kill her.

"Shut up... and that was not funny," I declared at my irritating excuse for a business associate. How was I even friends with this girl?...

"Alright, I get it. You're pissed off. I would've thought though, you being guy and all, that maybe..." Argo suggested never missing the chance to pester me. I gave her a maliciously mean stare with the equivalent of a Basilisk. She backed off and finally got serious again.

"Fine... I suppose you could take this one. All you have to do is-"

"Shh!" I said suddenly. I was getting an extremely bad vibe out of the blue. There was something wrong in the midst... then I saw it. A cloaked person slipping out the door.

_Is that... no, could it be the same person?... _I wondered narrowing my eyes. Argo looked thoroughly confused and a bit miffed about being cut off.

"I'm waiting..." She said impatiently rude. I rolled my eyes. Well, ignorance is bliss...

"Never mind, I thought I saw someone..." I passed off impassively.

"Anyways, there's one job that pays pretty well, and I'd say it's interesting enough. Apparently, there's a guild seeking a provisional substitute because one member who's temporarily incapacitated with an ailment. Probably it's because they're sick in the real world. I guess it sucks to have a problem and not be able to do anything about it..." Argo sympathized.

I scoffed at the idea of working with a guild. No thanks, but for some reason, I felt inclined to ask for specifics.

"Do you happen to know the name of this guild?" I asked unconcernedly.

"Yeah, I do. Let's see... Fury-Kazi?... Fuhrer-kaiser?... uhm... oh wait Fuurinkazan! That's it!" Argo said after jumbling the word. My expression dropped into a conflicted state of mind.

_Klein's guild? Now there's no way I'm going... _I thought initially. But as I mulled it over, my resolve changed.

_I suppose it can't hurt... but for business, and that's it,_ I decided ultimately. Maybe I should use a hood, too... saves me the trouble.

"I suppose that'll do. Where are they?" I asked indifferently.

"Back on the last floor," Argo supplied. "Would've been this one, but they stopped to take care of the sick guy."

"I see... thanks for info," I said and stood to leave. After I unceremoniously tossed a bag of money at her and approached the exit, Argo called out to me.

"You should be careful," Argo heeded and I turned back with a skeptical expression. She looked serious, but I just shook it off.

"What are you, my mother?" I asked inconsiderately and turned to leave.

"A few players have died recently," she informed me genuinely sounding concerned for my well being.

"Yeah, who hasn't?" I responded darkly. She persisted urgently however.

"It's rumored but... they say it was an **_actual _**killing," Argo stated dramatically. I narrowed my eyes in cold calculation. "You know what I mean, Kirito. 'Actual' as in involving one player onto another... and from what I heard, they did it without getting a scratch or apprehended."

Truthfully, I wasn't really worried about what would happen to me if I ran into this suspected threat. I was more concerned about the unknown person or persons' intentions. Well, if it happens, it happens, and I'll deal with it.

"Thanks for caring," I told Argo at least somewhat appreciatively. Then I cast myself outside into the welcoming darkness.

_Murder... _I thought ponderously.

_So I'm not the only threat out there..._ I considered carefully. I reevaluated the current predicament.

Someone out there knew about my personal agenda. Someone else out there was killing other people. I wasn't that surprised on the latter, player-killing was going to happen eventually. Still... it was horrible to think some people had finally stooped that low, especially in a world like this... I weighed my options.

Who was I going to pursue first? Who was the bigger threat? All things were going to come clear... someday and somehow. I only had yet to decide how it would affect me... possibly forever. I addressed both matters with a single question.

_Who are you?..._ Of course, sooner or later, that would not be my only question.

**A/N And finally I wrap up this chapter! Damn... Well, what'd you think? Good? Bad? Took too long? Well, whatever the case, thanks for reading. Now to address a few things. Don't worry, I will introduce all the characters you want to see, it'll just take time. Second, I've decided to break this story into 'arcs', which means you haven't even gotten to the good part. Third, I welcome any suggestions to the story, just in case I run short of ideas, even though that is highly unlikely for someone of my caliber(jk). I may or may not take your considerations into account so don't be disappointed or offended but if I do implement it, I will credit you. In any case, I hope you enjoyed this lengthy chapter. Please R & R~**


	8. Grave Calling

**A/N Hi guys, I've at last regained the inspiration and energy for another chapter. Note: Don't expect every chapter to be as long as the last one; at least for now. In any case, here's the general layout for the next 6 chapters (including this one). I will be advancing the floors by six every time, with the exception of this one and the 13th chapter being seven. That also means this arc will end when the 14th chapter is posted. From then on, floor progression may be little more sporadic, and there will definitely be backtracking for the purpose of the story. Rest assured, quality will not be sacrificed because I'm way too good for that. Rather, it will be enhanced because by then... well, you'll see. Happy reading~**

I walked into a rather untidy bar with stains on the tables and spots where it seemed beer had slopped over. The smell was slightly intoxicating so I turned away prudently as to not let the scent sway my senses. I had always wondered why many other men drank so much alcohol... I personally thought the only drink I ever needed was soda. A.K.A. gamer fuel.

_Perhaps it's an acquired taste..._ I mused after watching a random older player chug down a pint of foamy beer. He had a dazed expression and mumbled something about unicorns while hiccuping. I passed this sight over and went on to my destination. If one day I were to drink, I hoped I wouldn't kill my brain cells.

With the hood covering my head, my face was half-shadowed over. I approached «Fuurinkazan» who were waiting for me at the far right end of the area. I came over and sat down at the edge with my arms crossed and leaning back on my chair so I could rest my feet on the table unceremoniously. They looked at me warily. I didn't see Klein here yet.

"Who are you?" Asked the tallest one rather aggressively. I inspected him closely with scrutinizing eyes, making him slightly uncomfortable even though my eyes were obscured by darkness.

"Before you ask for my name, why not tell me yours? You called me here, I didn't call you," I said indifferently tossing him a folded flyer I had obtained from Argo in a sharp trajectory straight at his face. He caught it, but just barely. He unfolded the flyer and read the contents. Realization spread on his face, but he still had an unfriendly look on him. His armor clanked as he crushed the paper in his fist. He then leaned toward me with his hands clenched on the edge of the table and held a suspicious gaze over his face.

"So you're the substitute, I assume?" He said doubtfully and I nodded lazily. He scoffed and I raised my head slightly in question.

"What?" I asked defiantly staring at him with an unspoken challenge in my eyes. He shrugged offhandedly.

"Nothing, I just thought you'd be less... frail," he said smirking for his lack of a better word. I narrowed my eyes resentfully. It was true I wasn't the most muscular guy, but I wasn't anorexic or anything. In fact, I had high metabolism which is why I had remained the way I had since my childhood. Also, due to the rigorous training from my grandfather, I was stronger than I appeared.

"Yeah? Well, I thought you'd look more impressive. Is all that armor to hide your frail frame?" I responded to the insult. This immediately garnered the reaction I was expecting. He got up from his seat abruptly when his comrades held him down.

"Yo, Harry, chill man!" Said the one with spiky brown hair.

"Dude, calm your engines!" Said the one with a red bandana tied around his head.

"But he-" Said the tall one protesting.

"You started it," I pointed out coldly. "Apologize, or do you not want my help?" I added disinterestedly. The one called Harry was fuming but his guild members managed to restrain him in his seat. Fortunately, Klein arrived at that moment.

"What's going on guys? Hey, waiter! Make it five- uh-" Klein paused catching note of me and assuming I was here for the job. I raised my hand to pass off the offer.

"I don't drink," I said dismissively. Klein's eyes widened as he recognized my voice. He looked shocked but quite happy I was here.

"Right. Make it five of the usual, please," Klein said. I started wondering whether if it was a good decision to come here. I had already gotten off on the wrong foot with one of his guild mates.

"Guys, this is-" Klein said about to introduce me but I shook my head in objection. He changed his words mid-sentence.

"-Our new guy, right?" He finished and the others nodded to ascertain his inquiry. Except for Harry of course.

"Well, I hope we can work together until our other guy, Dale, is back up to speed. Then we can move ahead and become better than even the frontliners!" Klein said optimistically and his guild called out their agreement. I scoffed quietly.

_There is no way you'll ever catch up to me, Klein... not in a guild like this,_ I thought disapprovingly. Still, I felt a little bit of unwarranted jealousy.

"Mhmm... right," I assented sarcastically but not enough to be caught on. "Well, let's get to it then," I said grudgingly and got up from my seat tacitly after they finished inebriating themselves.

In the job description, it was stated that they needed a temporary member while one of them needed to recuperate. Honestly, I think I did this out of being left with no other choice. This particular assignment just happened to align with my own interests which was to ultimately fight and get stronger. I didn't mind getting paid a little extra so I agreed to help Klein and his guild out. But not out of kindness or pity, just personal reasons for benefit. I wondered if I had subconsciously wanted to see Klein again, or maybe it was just against my better judgement.

I asked Klein privately while we were walking how his guild was doing. Apparently he had 4 other members recruited bringing the total number of the group up to ten. The other four were currently taking care of the ill-stricken Dale who was residing in a local inn. Not that I really cared, I just tried to make normal conversation. Truthfully, I was a bit relieved Klein hadn't died yet, but I felt guilty teaming up with him. Not only did it breach my own beliefs but I felt I didn't deserve to work with a guild. Funny how things turn out...

We went back to the 13th floor to attend the meeting in preparation to the oncoming battle. I caught a glimpse at Asuna and she in turn caught one of me. She turned away in annoyance and refused to look at me further. I sighed slightly disappointed and made a mental note to pay back Argo one day.

After the meeting Klein suggested we grind up for a while before tomorrow. I agreed without hesitation for I was eager to return to routine. While we were grinding in the grey barren fields with conflicting terrains of sand and rough soil, I took notice of how Klein worked with his guild. Klein would start off the fight, charging in with a sword skill. Immediately after, he switched out and his ranged spear member, Kunimittz, took his place while Issin, spiky brunette guy, and Dynamm, red bandana, Mexican-looking guy, flanked the enemies' side while Harry, armored guy-who-I-didn't-really-like-especially-because-he -uses-a-shield, tanked the remaining enemies. His method of fighting was to wait for the attack and counter afterwards. I rolled my eyes but said nothing.

Overall, I was almost impressed in the way Klein's guild composed themselves. Almost. Objectively speaking, they weren't focusing enough on being aggressive. Their defense was decent in the way that they covered for each other, but I didn't like that tactic because it was too... dependent. In a harsh world like SAO, you have to think about the worse case scenario and prepare a contingency plan for it. In the end, helping yourself first was precedent to helping others. At least in my mind...

I cut away at my goblin-like opposition with refined finesse. One slash after the other, a spin to dodge one strike, another to retaliate with brutal deadliness. I took little satisfaction in my kills because they died too easily. Most enemies I faced these days were destroyed in one hit. Whenever I got bored and needed more of a challenge, I would use «Howl» to attract a tougher specimen from the ranks. In ordinary terms, this would've been a good reason to retreat. In my terms, I could actually perform a combo on an opponent who would take more than one hit from me. In simple terms, now that I had an audience, I was just showing off.

Klein's guild including Klein himself was impressed by my skill, especially since I turned off the default setting and refused to use «System Assistance». Even Harry had to grudgingly respect my high level of competence. We finished up after about two hours and headed back to town.

I agreed to meet up Klein at the gate in the morning. The boss fight would be at around noon. In other words, my victory would be at around noon.

* * *

I stayed in the shadow during the meeting. It was the first I had been to since the game had started. It was utterly boring and I couldn't help but be amazed at everyone's ability to stay awake. Well, almost everyone. I saw Kirito-kun nodding off slightly in the corner and Asuna yawning slightly at the table. I also took note that Kirito kept on trying to make eye contact with Asuna which proved to be amusing and yet for some reason I felt a little envious of his persistence. I shook it off and tried to refocus. It had been a poor choice on my part to attend this meeting. Maybe the luck of the 13th floor had something to do with this...

I watched as Kirito-kun left after the meeting was adjourned. I sighed wistfully and wondered when the time was right to reveal myself to him. Still, I had to be patient and try to help him from a distance, at least for now. I couldn't risk ruining my plans just yet.

I followed Kirito from a distance and saw him with other people. Strange. From what I had analyzed, he didn't usually work with other players, let alone talk to them. I decided ultimately that he had his reasons and that I shouldn't worry too much. I sighed tiredly but persevered and walked back to the «Teleport Gate» and headed for the 1st floor.

The 1st floor was still populated by quite a few players. More than the others above at least. I ignored the people around me and headed to «Black Iron Palace».

_I have an awful lot of work to do..._ I thought silently.

* * *

I placed myself gracefully upon my bed. Soft, white sheets met my tired back and comforted my muscles. I had always gave a hundred percent in my time here at the Knights of the Blood. It was taxing to drive myself so hard, but I wanted to be a worthy sub-commander. I'd give a hundred and fifty percent, no, three hundred percent if it was necessary to free everyone from this game. But at the same time, I didn't want to do this job at all. I'd rather just have it all end and have everything go back to normal. But if it was so easy, everybody would've done it already...

My guild had yet to find an appropriate place for headquarters so we moved about in a group, booking entire inns or similar shelters for ourselves. I didn't think it was a problem since we didn't stay for long and the fact that there were plenty of floors now to live on.

I was level 39 which was probably one of the highest levels around. I intended to keep it that way by continuously drilling myself and the guild members under my jurisdiction. Heathcliff held the most authority in our group, but I was essentially second-in-command and his most trusted advisor, so I had a lot of influence on the lower ranks.

I tried desperately to fall asleep, but I couldn't get Kirito out of my head. The 'Ashley incident' was still in my mind, I felt embarrassed to look at him. Jerk...

I managed to fall asleep but with difficulty. I wondered how I was ever going to approach him again with getting so worked up...

The next day, we all marched to the 13th floor dungeon. On the way there we encountered light resistance that was dealt with promptly. Finally we arrived at the doors to the boss arena.

The surroundings were quite grim and depressing. Skulls were adorned along the ground and bones littered the place, infused with the pillars. There was a strange smell of dried blood and entrails as well, which made me slightly nauseous. Kirito showed no change in expression and I hardened myself to not show weakness in front of him.

_Strange,_ I mused to myself. Why was he here with a group? I thought he had worked alone, ever since... oh never mind.

After Heathcliff's brief address to the rest of us, we moved cautiously into the darkened area. There were faint lights from the torches flickering around the place.

All too soon, the area brightened up in a purple and blue glow that revealed the boss. «Blazen» was its name. A type of skeletal wyvern which breathed out ghostly green fire. I braced myself by tightening the grip on my sword.

The wyvern drew itself back and then launched a massive fireball at the nearest players. The tanks followed Heathcliff to deflect the flames as they swung their shields in front them. The flames licked at their shields and heated the area immensely. The tanks sustained moderate damage besides Heathcliff. I remembered at that point that I had a specialized shield just for this particular case. I brought the «Adamant Shield» out and leapt over the defensive human-barrier that was constructed and charged at the enemy. A burst of flames came to meet me but I absorbed the impact with my shield. I dispensed with it after the wyvern ceased fire to cool down and recharge. I leapt up and rained down with «Star Splash» aiming at critical points such as the neck, the eyes, the wings and such.

Its health decreased by about 10% on the first bar and four more to go. I froze up momentarily because of the cool down period. If you deactivated «System Assistance» you could recover on your own quicker, but the execution for sword skills was more difficult. It was what I had done, so that I could do more intricate moves after I had practiced for a bit.

The wyvern craned its neck to look straight at me. I willed myself to dodge at a moment's notice.

Just then, Kirito appeared out of the blue and cut down on the wyvern with a «Star Smash» on its head. It shook itself out of surprise and then angrily breathed a fireball straight at him. I was scared for a moment but then he cut the projectile in half with an augmented «Dark Hit». He smirked at me.

"I believe it's your turn," he said politely with a slight mocking tone. "We'll switch off so this thing can't target one of us directly."

"Whatever, showoff," I said dismissively rolling my eyes, though I was glad he wasn't hurt.

Along with the efforts of everyone else there, we managed to chip the boss's health down to the red zone by methodically switching in and out. The damage-oriented players delivered the majority of the damage and went for cover behind the tanks when the wyvern released a wave of fire. It was a systematic way of killing the enemy, and it paid off well.

Until of course, it reached the red zone. Then its behavior pattern turned to rage mode and started launching fury attacks.

It propelled itself into the air and amalgamated a massive sphere of fire. The lights casted off of the flames were in a disarrayed spectrum. After increasing the volume of the fireball, it discharged it and before it hit us, it segmented into a sundry of fireballs. For some reason they missed all of us, just landing near. What was the point of that move? A warning shot?

I immediately regretted those thoughts and wished it was a warning shot because suddenly all the fireballs positioned around us detonated with all of us caught in the radius.

_Explosive fireballs?! _I thought heavily alarmed. That was a new maneuver that hadn't been encountered yet. Everyone, including Kirito, took some amount of damage. To our dismay, a few players succumbed to death from the unexpected artillery bombardment. The situation looked pretty grim. I took a small potion to recover my health a little. I backed up in slight shock and felt someone back up into me as well.

"I don't suppose you have a water gun?" Kirito said trying to make humor out of the situation. I rolled my eyes disdainfully. Really? At a time like this?

"Real funny," I responded keeping my eyes on the enemy overhead charging up again for a second barrage.

"Yeah, I know," he said acknowledging his anachronism as a bad joke. I felt him tense up.

"I've got a plan," Kirito said seriously.

"I hope you do," I replied sardonically but hoping he really did.

"Do you trust me?" He asked apprehensively. I hesitated slightly.

"That depends," I answered back tentatively.

"Close enough," he responded accepting my less-than-reassuring answer. Exactly what kind of plan was I agreeing to?...

* * *

Honestly, I was quite nervous. That fire bombing attack caught me off-guard and even I was unable to avoid damage. I felt bad for the players who had unwittingly been brought to their deaths, but I couldn't do anything about that. Right now, rather, I was worried about Asuna. As tough as she was, both me and her couldn't take more hits like those. I tried calculating a plan while standing back to back with Asuna. I could feel her nervous breathing and almost hear her erratic thoughts on the current predicament. I spied around and saw a solution.

I saw the leader of the Divine Dragon Alliance catching his breath crouched down. I felt a little dishonest in doing what I was about to do, but it couldn't be helped. What had to be done, has to be done.

I ran over and snatched his «Dragore Blade» away. He staggered up and yelled at me to give it back. Obviously, I didn't.

"Sorry, but I'm gonna borrow this for a while," I apologized but not too genuinely because he was the leader of the DDA. And the DDA were a bunch of assholes who hoarded a lot of stuff like spawning points, items, and the limelight. I mean, I know I was an asshole sometimes, but at least it was cool when I did it.

"You insolent brat! I'll have your head for this!" He shouted and tried to chase me but fell from exhaustion. This was what the system registered as a «Disarm». There was such a skill, which I didn't have, but I could pull off nonetheless because of my expertise. Now, I'm not encouraging you to GTA everything in sight, but I kinda wanted to keep the «Dragore Blade». In case you were curious here's the description.

**A blade forged of metal dragon scales resistant to all types of fire. Special Abilities: Manipulate, absorb, or deflect fire. ****Manipulation complements any sword skill with 50% elemental fire damage.**** Absorbing fire allows the player to redirect it at will equal to the amount consumed. Deflect is useful for combating dragons or similar creatures as a makeshift shield. Note: Manipulation requires absorption prior to use or a nearby fire source. After fire is depleted, Cooldown requires 5 minutes.**

I rushed back to Asuna with my 'borrowed' sword. She gave me a disbelieving look of disapproval, but shook it off.

"So what's your plan, genius?" Asuna asked facing the wyvern with her «Adamant Shield».

"Well, I figured since this thing's got a lot of firepower, might as well fight fire with fire," I said concentrating on the enemy overhead. Asuna gave me a confused look.

"And by that you mean..." she trailed off waiting for an elaboration.

"You remember the 10th floor?" I asked expectantly.

"Vaguely..." Asuna said a little anxious like 'where is he going with this'.

"Remember how you killed it?" I asked hurriedly because the wyvern was almost ready for another strike.

"Yes... so you want to stick a sword in its mouth?" She asked incredulously. I coughed at the poor choice of words and she hit me on the shoulder.

"Not exactly, but I need you aim its direction toward me. We only got one shot at this before we get fried like Sunday chicken," I said with anticipation. Not a very pleasant analogy, I'll admit.

"And just how are we going to do that?" Asuna asked skeptically. I looked at her sympathetically for what I was about to do.

"I hope you're an airplane type of girl," I said and approached her. She blushed and asked me what I was doing.

"What are you-" she exclaimed but I interrupted her by grabbing and lifting her into a bridal style hold. I swung around once and tossed her into the air towards the wyvern.

"KIRITO I'M GONNA KILL YOU-" she said giving me a well-deserved death threat that was left unfinished as she landed on its back. Taking advantage of the situation like I had last time, she stabbed its eyes out. The wyvern screeched in pain and went barreling through the air at high-speed taking wild turns and corkscrews. I could distinctly hear Asuna shouting curses at me all the while.

_Well, now we're even, princess,_ I thought amused. The wyvern charged up another incendiary fireball and shot it. As the sphere burst into smaller pieces I managed to catch one.

Let me tell you something. Have you ever read Catching Fire? Yeah, well **fuck that,** this is the **real** shit, and it hurt like having your hand dipped in gasoline, set on fire, baked in a stove, that was inside the sun. In other words, if you've ever stepped on a lego, you still don't know what **real **pain is.

The fire grenade was pulsating in my hand. In the real world my hand should've melted, in SAO I was just rapidly losing health. And taking excruciating pain. So this is how Anakin felt on Mustafar...

I don't know if it was luck, or Asuna had flying lessons, but she managed to blindly steer the wyvern towards me. She jumped off promptly and rolled back onto her feet. Tired she collapsed onto her knees to catch her breath.

_Impressive,_ I admitted mentally. Then I focused on the oncoming threat. The distance between me and the wyvern was closing fast. I had one shot. One target. One hand I would probably never be able to use again. I came up with a witty one-liner.

"Batter up, bitch."

I tossed the fireball up near vertically so that it tilted slightly back towards me. Then I gripped both hands on the «Dragore Blade» like a baseball bat. I timed my swing and smacked that shit like... well, you can fill that in. *wink* If you know what I mean...

The projectile went in a sharp trajectory into the wyvern's open mouth as it was about to charge another bomb. I never played tennis, but I thought that was a pretty good serve. Or whatever, hybrid swing or something...

I ducked as the wyvern flew past me. Not a moment later the incendiary detonated from within and so did the fire bombs around us. Like a boss, I stood up without looking back at the explosions. My coat waved dramatically in the wind. The LA bonus drop message appeared in front of me. I checked for my prize.

«Dark Fire Darts» x 7  
**A sevenfold set of deadly darts, each specializing in a unique function marked by the color of the stripe. Note: Must manually recall darts to reuse. All effects last 10 seconds except by use of Black Fire Dart. All Darts require a 1 minute Cooldown. This set of items cannot be upgraded.  
****Red: Drain (steal health from target to add to your own proportionately; if full inflict regular damage)  
****White: Stun (immobilizes target temporarily)  
****Blue: Decelerate (slow target speed down to 50%)  
****Yellow: Shock (destabilize target, sword skills cannot be activated, reaction senses are reduced)  
****Purple: Corrupt (weaken target's strength while inversely increasing the user's)  
****Green: Poison (rapid damage determined by target's health stats)  
****Black: Fusion (without supplements, inflict 50% Dark damage; can have multiple effects combined; increase duration by 10 seconds each; maximum: 60 seconds/1 minute; Cooldown requirement is one minute multiplied by every supplement; maximum 420 seconds)**

This Rare drop sounded particularly useful. All the Cooldown drawbacks must've been implemented to keep it from being overpowered. I made a mental note to acquire the «Blade Throwing» skill next time.

Asuna walked over towards me with a sulky expression. As expected she punched me on the shoulder. You think I would've gotten used to it... I didn't. She crossed her arms resentfully and gave me a criticizing gaze.

"That was the stupidest move I ever saw in my entire life..." she admonished disbelievingly. She also muttered something about being involuntarily launched in the air. "You could've told me what you were going to do," she added reproachfully.

"Then you would've said 'no'," I countered objectively. She rolled her eyes like 'of course I would've!'

Fine... maybe it wasn't the best idea, but I had nothing else at the time. What was I gonna do? Grow a beanstalk and climb it? Asuna finished reprimanding me and turned to leave. I sighed openly.

"But... it was pretty brave," Asuna called out over her shoulder, giving me a small smile. Or was it a smirk? Nevertheless, I returned it.

"Is that how you show affection?" I asked innocently and she scoffed at me and walked away saying 'You're unbelievable'. I smirked inwardly.

_I miss that phrase... I miss it quite a bit._

* * *

Unfortunately and ironically, thirteen people had died in sacrifice to defeat the boss. Two bombings had devastating effects so it was good that Kirito had beaten the boss when he did. Albeit, a little unrefined. Maybe **hugely **unrefined...

I exited the area with my guild following Heathcliff who led us the next floor.

The fourteenth floor was quite sunny and had lush green fields. It had a welcoming presence compared to the last floor. I think I saw sand in the distance. A beach, perhaps?

Following routine, we trekked over to the «Teleport Gate» and connected it to the rest of the floors. The town seemed peaceful and the NPCs were friendly. This place seemed too good to be true, and it was because knowing my guild, we wouldn't be staying for long.

I thought about the aftermath of the battle. We couldn't allow another loss like that. That would dampen morale and produce multiple adverse effects. I sighed inwardly.

_I have an awful lot of work to do..._ I thought silently.

Once we booked out an inn, I locked the door to my room and fell down on the bed. It was queen sized which was nice.

I stared out the window. The sun was still shining bright but it was slowly descending. I checked the time. 3:24 P.M.

I closed my eyes to the world. I began to think about recent events.

_That idiot..._ I thought irritated. _That was **far **too reckless... still, I have to give him credit. No one else could've thought up of that. Much less pull it off..._

I kept it all to myself, but I acknowledged the fact that I still cared for Kirito-kun, no matter what he did. No matter how stupid as well. That's why I... got so worked up. Even being in a guild was because of him. Hell, indirectly it was **for **him, I just didn't know if he noticed that... but for now I had to keep waiting. Hoping that one day, my perseverance would pull through.

* * *

I continued my contract with Klein's guild. It lasted for about 4 weeks. During that time we managed to make significant progress. Dale, the formerly sick member, returned to good health after 2 weeks after the 13th floor was cleared. I would've left then, but Klein insisted on me staying just a bit longer. I don't know why I listened, but maybe it was because I felt like I owed him something.

«Fuurinkazan» improved their technique overall from working with me. They would never reach my level, for you needed years for that, but they were better than the average player I'll admit. The other four members of the group joined us at the same time. Klein introduced me to them, but I still refused to divulge my true identity. Instead, they just called me the 'new guy'. Over the course of time I had gained their respect, and maybe even their trust despite my reclusive fighting habits. From an outside party view, it was their team comprised of 10 people. Then there was just me on the side. Well... technically I did count as a team... you know, me, myself and I...

In that 4 weeks or so, the frontliners managed to clear the next four floors. I'll provide a summary for each.

The 14th floor's boss was a large bird called The «Knightingale». Essentially it was a giant armored bird with a female rider clad in steel wielding a sharply curved scythe. Its speed was quite remarkable, but it had nothing on me.

Since I had recently advanced to level 45, I selected «Blade Throwing» to fill my next skill slot. I had to slow down the target with a precise shot. I hadn't been able to practice prior to the fight, so this shot would have to count. But if it worked, this one shot (and my first ever) would be all that I needed. Meanwhile, Klein commented on the boss.

"Hey, she's kinda hot, don't cha think?" Klein said approvingly. I gave him a disbelieving stare.

"Are you kidding me? She almost decapitated you..." I pointed out.

"Yeah, well. Some chicks are rough," Klein countered. I looked the other way coughing.

_Well... to each his own..._ I thought trying not to judge.

I fused the **Black Fire Dart** with **Blue, Purple, **and **Green.** Slowing it down was my first priority, weakening it was my second to lower the target to level ground, and poison was just to damage it further. I positioned my arm like I was going to throw a javelin. Fortunately, darts are much lighter so the force of the propulsion would be effortless. I aimed and shot. Just like a camera.

The dart hit it right(literally) in the eye. It shrieked loudly and dipped lower in elevation. I took my chance as it dived near me and jumped clasped onto its legs. I then grappled over but almost fell off so I 'grabbed' the female rider. **  
**

Let me justify this moment... to me I just held onto the female rider to keep from falling over. To someone else though, it looked like I groped her...

I don't know if NPCs can blush but I felt the female rider's body heat up as I gripped her chest. To spare me further humiliation, I took out my Knightsword and stabbed her from behind(not that kind of 'stab').

The boss exploded into thousands of shards but I hit my head pretty hard, so I don't remember much that happened afterwards. What I do remember though, was Asuna passing by giving me an **extremely **dirty look. I sighed inwardly.

_I can't believe this... I mean **I'm **the victim here! Risking my life and everything..._ I complained mentally. I could hear Klein voicing his jealousy by saying something like 'How come you got to cop a feel'. I facepalmed myself. Not the time, dude...

The 15th floor was very blue and there was a salty sea smell in the air. I saw quite a few sand dunes. There were harbors and black rocks all over the terrain. I spied in the distance several caves. Well, that looked promising... dark, isolated, and surrounded with seagulls picking at dead carcasses. Not ominous at all.

When we entered the 15th floor boss area, we couldn't immediately see the boss. The battlefield was also a new design. Think of it as a huge hashtag on water.

The water below looked foreboding and we tried to stay away from the edges. My «Hypersense» was going crazy, but even without it I had a bad feeling about this. I just hoped it wasn't another Basilisk. Suddenly I took closer notice of the environment. There were 2 protrusions on each of the 4 sides. That made 8. Wait... it couldn't be-

Splash.

_Shit._

A thick, long, tentacle shot out of the water and suddenly wrapped around a random player's leg and dragged them below to Davy Jones' Locker. A pity, and I would've taken my hat off in respect, but I'm not Captain Jack Sparrow. Instead, I drew my sword and everyone followed to draw up a battle stance and form a defensive line.

"Got any ideas?" Klein asked me anxiously. I looked around. I saw multiple oil drums laying around the place. How convenient.

"One. Kick the can," I commanded promptly. Klein nodded his recognition to my strategy.

"You heard him guys! Dump this shit over!" He ordered to his guild and they followed his lead. I focused on keeping an eye out for another tentacle attack. I heard several more splashes. I managed to dodge the tentacles with fancy flips but I kept sliding all over place due to the slippery floor because of the splashing.

_Great... why don't they just put up a sign? _I thought pissed off at the lack of warning. A few more players got whipped into the dark, watery chasms of death. I felt sorrow for their losses but I passed it off quickly. I had to fight for my life first before mourning for others.

I heard a scream. Oh no.

I looked around and saw Asuna dangling high in the air with 3 tentacles wrapped around her. They constricted and rubbed her rapaciously. OH HELL NO! I was not going to stand by and watch my girl- I mean Asuna get violated by a creepy octopus! I defied logic and ran on water like Jesus. As I passed by I sliced my Knightsword through the three tentacles and Asuna fell from their grasp. I dropped my sword and caught her on the other side and we swung together in a weird pirouette move. I held her protectively in my arms and she placed her hands on my chest.

"That was so scary..." Asuna said quietly trying not to whimper at the trauma. I sympathized even though I had never experienced something of that ordeal. Hopefully not any time in the near future as well...

"Are you okay, Asuna?" I asked urgently. I didn't care about anyone else there at the moment. I just wanted to make sure Asuna was all right.

"Yeah... I think I am..." Asuna whispered slightly relieved. She looked up to me with endearing eyes. I stared back intently with intense concern.

"Kirito... thank you so m-"

Before she could finish that sentence I felt a tentacle wrap around and pull me away rapidly. I took Asuna's place and started swaying in the air dangerously. Then I started lowering closer to the water's surface.

"OH FUCK NO!" I yelled defiantly. I saw enough on the internet to know where this was going. I drew out my sword and cut off the binding tentacle around my ankle. I dropped from the air and desperately clawed for a ledge. Fortunately, I was able to grasp the edge, but just barely. I started slipping.

"KIRITO-KUN!" Shouted Asuna and she rushed to my side. As I was about to take a plunge she dived baseball-esque towards me and caught my wrist. She held on for a while, but then started slipping herself.

"Asuna! Let go of me! At this rate we'll both get dragged in!" I demanded of her. She shook her head in violent protest.

"I can't let you die **alone!" **She argued and I saw tears well up in her eyes. She was willing to drown with me?...

"Asuna..." I uttered weakly. I was touched actually, I mean this scene seemed pretty movie clichéd, but nonetheless it was emotional for me. No one had ever shown that much care for me... not in a long time.

"Oh God, why don't you two get married?" Klein interrupted rudely while pulling me up. He and everyone else must've saw that and both me and Asuna turned our heads down in embarrassment. I remembered the plan suddenly.

"Did you dump the oil?" I asked briskly. Klein nodded. Step one. Complete. Now step two.

"Just like you said. Hope we don't get sued like BP did..." Klein added humorously. I rolled my eyes.

"Get me the «Dragore Blade»," I commanded. Harry went over to the DDA leader and «Disarmed» him. I heard something like, 'That's the second time already!' but I didn't care. Harry tossed the sword over to me. I nodded acknowledging my appreciation.

"Thanks. I forgive you now," I said and checked the fire absorption in the sword. It was empty...

I sighed and took out a flint. I struck it against the steel which elicited a small spark. I continued this dull work until there was sufficient amount of 'fire' absorbed into the blade. I stowed away the flint. I stuck the blade in the ground temporarily to draw out all my darts. I fused them all into one and fired the **Black Fire Dart **into the water at the dark spot submerged below.

I have no idea where I hit it, but the water started foaming angrily in response, confirming the target was hit. Step one. Complete. Step two. Complete. Step three... let's just say it wasn't going to be as easy as the other steps.

I slipped off my 3rd Gen Midnight and tossed it at Klein. I took off my boots as well. Asuna gave me a shocked then protesting look. I ignored it completely and grabbed the «Dragore Blade».

"Wish me luck," I said and dived into the oil-permeated water. I managed to take a look at the boss before I killed it. The «Kraken» was what it was called. I got the chills from looking at it, but maybe that was the water...

"IGNITE!" I gurgled as bubbles emitted from my mouth. Thankfully, the pathetically pitiful amount of heat from the sparks was enough for the oil to catch on fire. I swam hurriedly to the surface.

...Or not.

Of course I couldn't get away so easily as the damn octopus grabbed my leg. In the midst of the fire, it managed to sense my wave motions and caught me. I struggled to break free by kicking at it with my free leg. More bubbles escaped with precious oxygen.

_Shit... I'm starting to feel lightheaded..._ I thought alarmed. I finally managed to sever the tentacle and swim away. But I was losing speed, and suddenly the surface looked too far away... I started dropping like lead. It felt like I had an anchor and a concrete block tied to both my legs. I looked around and saw that the «Kraken» had regenerated its tentacles and was pulling me in. Looks like he wanted to do commit a double suicide in the surrounding ring of fire I had created. I tried to fight back, but in my resistance the «Kraken» whipped me in the head and tore off my shirt and lower pants, so I only had shorts now in the freezing water. My vision started fading...

_It's getting hard, harder to breathe... Am I out of time, is that what this means?... _I was blacking out. Darkness surrounding...

...But then I saw something break the surface. Something white heading towards me. Is that... a mermaid?...

* * *

I awoke with a sudden start. By that I meant I was coughing up water. What happened to me?... I looked around dazed.

I saw Klein and his guild rejoicing at my arousal from unconsciousness. Then I suddenly sensed a tight grip on my right hand. I turned to see Asuna with tears in her eyes that she frantically wiped away.

"Asuna?..." I asked cautiously. She gave a slight sniffle but faced me with earnest eyes.

"I... *sniff*... thought you died. I was _**so**_ scared... that you... wouldn't *sniff*... that you **didn't** make it..." Asuna whispered tenderly. I brushed her hand with my thumb to let her know I was all right. "If you're going to do something stupid, at least tell me first..." I nodded solemnly. She had been scared I had died? I felt really cold before but suddenly my body warmed up dramatically. Is this what they called?...

"Glad to see you're awake, partner," Klein interrupted abruptly ignorant of the moment he just ruined. I sighed exasperated.

"Yeah, I'm glad too. Where's everyone else?" I questioned asking the obvious.

"Oh they left. Couldn't really spare a thought about you, but I'm sure they're just too prideful to express their thanks. You know, you being a Beater and all..." Klein muttered the last part as to not be too insensitive. I appreciated the sentiment.

"Hope you don't mind, but, I kinda revealed your identity to my pals. Sorry, man, they kept pressing," Klein said apologetically rubbing his head and I gave him a death glare. What the fuck?

"Hey, it's not my fault! I'd want to know who would be that crazy to risk their life for everyone else! Wouldn't you? Especially when you do it on a daily basis... jeez you idiot..." Klein criticized but held admiration in his eyes nonetheless. His guild expressed similar countenances and nodded their approval. I sighed deeply.

"Klein, I'm gonna forgive you this time," I stated seriously. "But if I happen to actually die next time, I'm gonna haunt your ass," I threatened darkly. He held his hands up in surrender agreeing to the terms by nodding nervously. I then addressed Asuna.

"Asuna, shouldn't you be with your guild?" I inquired curiously. Not that I didn't appreciate her presence, it just struck me as odd.

"I... kind of asked them to go on ahead and let me stay behind... for a while, to confirm whether you were alive or not," she confessed reluctantly. Klein nodded to support her statement.

"Yeah... for a moment it looked like you copped it. I'm serious, dude, you were pale as hell and you weren't even breathing! Then Asuna-"

Said person got up and kneed Klein in the balls. Ouch... that looked **much** more painful in person... I would hate to be on the receiving end of that...

"I only did it to save your life!" Asuna said pointedly with her arms crossed and refusing to look this way. I raised my fingertips to my lips. Then I tasted them.

"Mhmmm... cherry," I commented on Asuna's lipstick. She blushed like a cherry and gave me a furious look. Well, maybe 'furious' is an understatement...

"OHMYGOD SHUT UP!" She exclaimed and got up to leave. Over her shoulder she called out to me.

"You owe me!" Asuna shouted with a commanding tone evident in her voice. I smirked and called back.

"So like, breakfast, lunch, and dinner?" I teased playfully. She scoffed heavily and left with one remark.

"You're unbelievable!" She responded.

"Whatever you say, princess..." I said and with that she resolutely pounded away. Maybe I had pushed my luck?...Nah...She digs me, I can tell...

Apparently, in the aftermath, the «Kraken» got burned to death. It may have seemed improbable to set fire to the water, but have you ever watched Spongebob? Motherfucker starts underwater fires... but realistically, it **is **actually possible to set fire on or under the water. Don't get any ideas... if you do, you didn't hear it from me...

I didn't bother checking for my LA bonus yet, because I felt too tired and lazy. Harry informed me that he returned the «Dragore Blade» to a certain grumbling DDA leader. Oh whatever, all's well that ends well.

* * *

The 16th floor was yet **another **water-based floor. The topography was filled with lakes and rivers. There were grassy greens and lighthouses. There was a light mist around the environment. The 16th floor boss area was similar to the last one. This time, however, there were two large pools of water split in half by a wooden bridge leading to the other side with the doors to the next floor.

As we walked towards the other end, the surface of the water broke and an enormous piranha named «Jaws» leapt out of the water and chomped down on 3 players. Gruesome, to say the least.

_"Why the fuck are there so many giant sea-creatures in this game?" _I whispered to myself. I was starting to get annoyed. Technically, the «Basilisk» didn't count, the «Kraken» was the first one I encountered, and this would be the second. Still, I was getting sick of looking at water and getting forced into it. I aimed a fully fused **Black Fire Dart** at the piranha, following its path. Then as soon as it popped up again, I threw my projectile at its face.

It hit it in the eye and if a fish could scream, it would've in deep agony.

With the target being slowed down, I managed to get a few clean hits on it. Everyone else pitched in to do their portion.

The boss reached the red zone, but before I could kill it, some pink-haired girl rushed up the instant it jumped out of the water and smashed it with a giant hammer. It disintegrated into thousands of pieces and everyone rejoiced at the victory. Except for me, I continued sulking.

_Whatever, I didn't even need that kill..._ I dismissed childishly.

The 17th floor was very cold. I could see every breath I took. It was grey and blue in color. There was some ice around and mostly tough soil. It'd be a rough place to live.

The 17th floor boss area was like the floor itself. Cold as fucking Mr. Freeze. The boss was sitting on an ice throne chillin' like a villain. It was a Yeti named The «Abominable». How fitting.

The boss fight was progressively slow. Our reactions were delayed by the intensity of low temperature. A few of the frontliners got frozen by the «Ice Breath». Regrettably a few got bashed in and shattered like glass. I swore to avenged their deaths. I dodged a few more icicle spears projected at me.

In the end, I had to hijack the «Dragore Blade»(again) and use the fire absorbed from the last battle to melt that cold-ass motherfucker down. I used the remaining fuel to thaw out the frozen players before they died from hypothermia.

I rested for a few days on the 18th floor. It was tiring to go into battle constantly and I hadn't had a respite in a while.

The 18th floor itself was nothing special. Except it had a lot of mountains surrounding the area. The terrain was pretty rocky, too.

The boss itself turned out to be a giant humanoid figure that was classified as a titan. Its skin was granite grey which fit its name, «Boulderdash». I figured out the 'dash' part later.

This thing actually had tough skin. I know because my darts were ineffective and couldn't penetrate through. We tried every weapon we had, swords slashing, spears thrusting, hammers hammering, axes chopping... but not much damage was inflicted. It seemed we were just aggravating the titan. Too bad Mikasa and Eren couldn't bail us out...

The 'dash' part was quite literal. The titan put on unexpected bursts of speed and ran over a few players in the process. I couldn't allow more deaths. After a particularly nasty crash into the wall with a player getting sandwiched in between, I picked up a large pebble and chucked it at its head. That caught its attention at the very least, as it turned annoyed towards me.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Klein shouted disbelievingly. "You'll get stomped to death!"

Its eyes and mine locked in an intensely hostile gaze as I ignored Klein's concern. My eyes challenged it to face me one-on-one and its eyes showed perception of the conveyed message. It started revving up by pushing its foot back repeatedly signaling a charge. The dust rose into the air, and this shit went 8 Mile in an instant.

I started bouncing on the balls of my feet like Muhammad Ali. Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. Oh, I was gonna 'sting' alright...

I took out my recently acquired «Frostbiter» from the 15th floor and «Icebreaker» from the last one. For your benefit, here's the info:

«Frostbiter»  
**A sword of pure cold terror, this blade is entirely comprised of ice, giving it the nickname, 'Teeth of the North'. There are 3 special abilities: The first allows the user to encase the blade with an extra coating of ice to double damage. The second ability allows the user to 'decay' another weapon by slowly glaciating the entire weapon with every strike.**** The third allows the user create an ice wave, which requires water absorption. A Cooldown time of 3 minutes is required for each ability. This weapon may be upgraded twice by means of a Glacierite Ingot. The first enhancement increases damage by +30. The second allows the user to use the blade as a surfboard on water or ice.**

Okay, I had to admit that sounded pretty fucking sick. Surfboard? Hell yeah, I had to have that.

«Icebreaker»  
**A ring made of Cryongenite, one of the coldest materials in existence. Its properties are contained by Pyrometal, a purified and smelted form of Pyromite, to abate the intensity of coldness. This ring allows the user to shape and manipulate ice and water. Think of it as 'waterbending'. After extended usage, there is a Cooldown of 5 minutes.**

That concept sounded very promising and I intended to use it in this situation. This was a fight I could certainly end without special abilities or equipment, I just found it practical to quit wasting more lives.

The titan charged at me and I released an ice wave from my «Frostbiter» at its feet. I then used «Icebreaker» to reshape the ice and meld it to the titan's feet. It fell over with an resounding crash. I froze the DDA leader from foot to waist and stole his «Dragore Blade»(once again) to utilize it to my advantage. I used the remaining fire absorbed to melt a ring in the ceiling. I then released multiple ice waves, depleting all my absorbed water fuel, at the heated spots to undermine the support in the ceiling. I then shattered the ice with the «Icebreaker» and followed up the attack with a fully fused **Dark Fire Dart **shot to nudge the ceiling in order to collapse. Soon enough the ceiling caved in and an enormous rock fell down.

"Heads up, bitch," I whispered to the doomed titan. With one last horrified look, it got wrecked by the boulder flattening it to pieces. I thawed out the DDA leader and tossed his sword back. He swore at me in thanks. I responded with 'you're welcome'.

"How theatrical," Asuna whispered to me passing by. I smirked knowingly.

"Man, that was EPIC," Klein praised me. I shook it off like 'please, I do this everyday'.

"We should go celebrate! To Kirito! The Black Swordsman!" said Harry. I found it a little odd, coming from him, but accepted it nonetheless. Quick note, Harry was also known as the Harry One. I don't know whether that means he didn't shave, or he was just known as the tall one.

We followed the other guilds and independent players to the 19th floor. The area had a similar vibe to the 13th floor. The main town was called «Ralberg». The only point of interest was the «Hill of the Cross», which was a graveyard surrounded by withered trees. How welcoming.

The town itself wasn't bad, a very sharp contrast to the dead forest. It was painted in light yellow with red tiles. Everything seemed normal, despite the poor arboriculture.

Klein and his guild led me into a bar. They ordered their drinks and I ordered water. What? Don't judge me...

I really didn't plan on staying long, and after finishing my glass, I motioned to leave. Klein, of course, noticed this.

"Come on, Kirito! Stay and celebrate with us! You deserve a break!" He coaxed cajolingly. I declined resolutely, but he would have none of that.

_Ugh..._ I complained mentally. _When is he going to get that I'm not into partying? _I wished I had a valid excuse other than 'hey, I'm sick of hanging with you guys' or 'I wanna be alone, risking my life again'. And just when I was going to be forced to sit down, I saw someone by the door.

A hooded person staring at me. The **same **hooded person staring at me. But this time, they didn't run away, rather surprisingly, they nodded to me to come outside. I took advantage of this.

"Yeah, I'd love to get drunk and wake up in an alley with you guys... but... HEY LOOK!" I shouted suddenly, pointing in a random direction away from the door. "A HOT CHICK! HIT ON HER!"

Every member of the «Fuurinkazan» including Mr. Desperate himself, looked over in the direction I pointed at, as I slipped out the door like the Pink Panther.

There in the sunset and darkened shadows I rendezvoused with the mysterious hooded person. They were waiting for me in an alley(of course) leaning against the wall with their arms crossed. I expected to get answers this time.

"It's been a while, Kirito-kun. How are you doing?" the enigmatic person asked politely. I narrowed my eyes. It had been a few floors since I saw this person. Well, first things first.

"Who are you?" I asked insolently without regard of returning the courtesy. The person seemed to smirk.

"Straight to the point as always..." the person said sighing. "Do you want my name or my role?" the hooded one said ambiguously.

"Both, and quit answering my questions with a question," I responded irritated. This seemed to further amuse them.

"And if I don't?..." the person asked in a teasingly singsong voice. I drew out my sword.

"My my, you're quite aggressive..." the person remarked with no trace of fear. I had to admit I was impressed at this person's audacity at not being intimidated by me. Even more so that they didn't do anything to protect themselves at all. How awfully risky... it was almost as though they wanted to tempt me.

"Don't push your luck," I threatened darkly but the hooded one did not flinch at all.

"Kirigaya Kazuto wouldn't kill someone..." The person said shocking me. I never revealed my name to anyone... how did they?...

"...Not unless he had no other choice, in the most extremely drastic case... I presume you haven't forgotten the first floor?" The person asked subtly. My mind drew an unpleasantly repressed memory. Oh yeah I remembered... but there was no one around... how did?...

"You don't have to kill anyone to get what you want. Except Kayaba, of course... and yes, I know what you want. Her name was Suguha, right?" The person asked me calmly. I started to breathe slightly faster.

"I'd ask you how you knew... but you wouldn't give me a straight answer, would you?" I accused of them. They smirked and nodded approval.

"You learn quick," they complimented.

"So I'll ask you... what do you want?" I questioned inquiringly.

"For you to do what I say," the person responded simply. What?... I didn't take orders from **anyone**, and I meant **anyone.**

"What do you mean?" I asked suspiciously.

"If you want to clear the game, follow my advice. On this floor, watch your step... and on the 25th floor... it'll test even you, Kirito-kun."

I narrowed my eyes. I didn't understand this person's intentions. I had plenty of reason not to trust them.

"Why are you 'helping' me?" I said putting emphasis on helping to hint at my doubt. The person smiled approvingly.

"I know I seem pretty suspicious to you, but think about this: I could've revealed your real name to let's say a beta hater and you'd have quite the handful to deal with. If I remember right, your friend Argo knows your real name too. Think of me like her, shady, but once you get to know me... I think we can work together, Kirito-kun... I promise that if you listen to my advice, I'll reveal everything you want to know, in time," the hooded one said. By now I could deduce that this person was a girl. The voice was melodically feminine and the figure was quite curvaceous. Not that it was of much relevance...

"I..." This was a lot to take in. I wasn't sure what to think. But this person brought up a good point. Still, I felt wary of her actions.

"I'll trust you..." I said cautiously. "...for now," I added darkly. She smiled at my behavior.

"Then we understand each other," She said and turned to leave. I called out to her before she left.

"You don't have any other details?" I inquired. She smirked at me over her shoulder.

"You're a smart guy, Kirito-kun. I'm sure you'll figure it out on your own," she said confidently.

"I don't know your name, so what do I call you?" I asked reasonably. She paused to formulate an answer.

"My favorite color is purple. Call me Violet," she answered casually and walked away swaying her hips in a sassy manner. Not that it was of much relevance...

"Right..." I said and I proceeded to get back on schedule in order to prepare for this floor's boss.

* * *

When we entered the 19th floor dungeon, it seemed darker than usual. The area seemed very grey and pale. The stone floor was dusty and there were broken ceramic potteries. I saw dried flowers upon fallen graves. It was a really gloomy ambiance that easily outstripped the 13th floor. We opened the doors cautiously.

The arena was dark and foreboding. I saw violet and indigo flames on the mounted torches. There at the far end of the square room was the boss. Its name was the «Staunton Master». We approached him with shields raised and weapons poised. I took notice of the field. There were a multitude of chains hanging from the ceiling above us, and entire floor was level. I saw huge square patterns and realized something.

_This is a chessboard... and he wants to play,_ I thought grimly. On the sides I saw broken pieces of armor and worn weapons. They appeared to be stone statues. Or were, anyway...

As expected, Kirito approached the boss first, walking with an arrogant swagger. I swear to God, he was going to get himself killed one day...

The boss rose from its throne and drew a giant greatsword out of its medieval scabbard. It seemed to be addressing Kirito alone and walked menacingly towards him.

It swung a huge «Avalanche» at him which would've mortally wounded him had he not rolled to the side. Kirito attempted to use a dart but the projectile failed to pierce the stone armor. He proceeded to summon his «Frostbiter» and «Icebreaker» combo, but even that didn't affect the boss very much. Kirito retreated back to the rest of us.

"This thing's a bitch to fight," he commented with grudging respect towards the challenge. Emboldened by Kirito's reckless attack, a few others tried to damage the boss. I watched them fight but their efforts were in vain after the boss countered with a ground pound. It proceeded next to swipe up a player in its free hand and crush them to death. How brutally barbarian.

I rushed forward, dodging another «Avalanche», running up the sword and delivering a midair «Flashing Penetrator» aimed at the head. I succeeded in pushing the boss back slightly while knocking its crown off. Still, that only did about 10% damage to one health bar. I had to retreat.

Everyone started attacking the boss at once in an attempt to reduce its health as much as possible, but the boss's sheer size and strength made it difficult to approach. Suddenly it reached half health.

* * *

I don't know why, but I sensed an immediate danger when the boss hit halfway down its health. I ran and jumped onto a overhanging chain and swung over to Asuna like Spidey and grabbed her away from the floor.

Not a moment too soon, the ground started pulling players down.

Or rather, spectral arms appeared out of nowhere dragging the unsuspecting players to the ground. Those who had quick enough reactions leapt to safety by grabbing the chains hanging above. Those who were less fortunately gifted in speed were held to the floor, and executed by the boss guillotining them. I felt sorry for them but refocused on the task at hand.

"That's totally unfair..." Asuna said grieving for the fallen players. She looked glad that I had saved her.

"But... how you'd know?" she asked me curiously. Whoops... uh...

Honestly I'd rather not tell her anything until I was sure, so I responded with a pathetically hackneyed answer.

"Umm... lucky guess?" I offered sheepishly and she frowned at me.

"Well... this place does look like a graveyard so I thought..." I improvised trying to provide reason to my instincts. She seemed convinced at that, for the most part at least. I sighed in relief.

"Fair enough..." she said accepting my explanation. "Still... we need a strategy to beat that thing," she said pointedly and I agreed. Not that it was of much relevance but Asuna crawled up to even level and wrapped her arms around me snugly. I noticed she tried to avoid looking my way with a slightly pink face.

Speaking of pink...

...there's that girl again. The one with the huge hammer. Hmm... maybe, just maybe...

"Asuna, I have a plan," I said abruptly. She kept her gaze on the boss while the rest of the frontliners swung by with random attacks on it. In the air however, our offense wasn't as strong.

"I'd like to hear it," she said a little sarcastically.

"Seeing as you managed to knock that thing back, I figure we need something bigger to finish the job. Get that girl with the hammer ready, and on my mark we can bash its head in with our strongest sword skills," I declared confidently. Asuna gave me a doubtful look.

"Are you sure that's a real plan? Well, it's not very good is it..." Asuna said skeptically, echoing the words of a certain bushy-haired brunette. Nonetheless she agreed to my proposed strategy.

After taking a painstaking amount of time chipping away its health, I signaled for Asuna and the girl to accompany me in a final attack.

"Everyone!" Asuna commanded. "Disorient the boss so we can move in!" And they struck from all directions to cause the boss to spin around in confusion, unable to focus on a single target.

"Go for the kill!" I called out and all three of us swung in swords drawn. Asuna activated a new skill called «Spearhead», a near invisible-strike with godly speed and damage, the girl activated something I assumed was a «Rolling Thunder» based on the execution and color of the sword skill. It required spinning the hammer or a weapon of similar class, using two hands to propel the attack. I chose to activate my previously undisclosed «Vorpal Strike» which was a heavy hitting attack that allowed me to reach twice the length of my blade and inflict a highly damaging strike with 30% Physical, 30% Fire, and 40% Darkness. There was a huge Cooldown period but it was worth it. I would refrain from using it too much though, for the attack was predictably obvious to see beforehand.

We all hit nearly at the same time, but I hit a little later, just to get the LA bonus. Before you say it, yes, I know it was selfish. That's why I did it.

The boss dispersed into thousands of blue shards and everyone rejoiced tiredly at the victory. I could see many sore arms from all the swinging. I counted our losses. 24 deaths. Fuck...

I decided to move on as to not linger about on bad feelings. Asuna grabbed my sleeve before I got to leave.

"Hey... it wasn't the best strategy... but it did work. Not bad... for you, anyway..." Asuna said smiling slightly at me. I felt my lips turn up just momentarily. I left without a glance back.

* * *

As Kirito left, I observed the aftermath. It was a difficult fight today, but we made it in the end. Still, I disliked the death toll... the game was only going to get harder.

I went over to congratulate the girl who helped us.

"Hey, thanks for your help," I said gratifying the stranger. She smiled bashfully back at me.

"Oh, it was nothing. I just wanted to help, you know. Can't hide away doing nothing forever..." she said admittedly. I could relate to this girl. She seemed similar to me. I felt the compelling urge to ask for her name.

"I'm Asuna, sub-commander of the KoB. And you are?..." I asked politely. She gave me an admiring look.

"Lisbeth. I'm just a wandering smith, but I'm considered pretty good at it. It's an honor to meet you," she responded equally courteous.

"A smith? Really? That's interesting..." I admitted wonderingly. Then I had an idea.

"Say... what's your Smithing level?" I asked curiously.

"Well... actually it's called Forging and there are multiple categories for forging different weapons..." Lisbeth corrected politely. "But they're all around... 700?"

My eyes opened up in surprise.

"You must've been working hard..." I said admittedly impressed. I didn't think many people currently reached pass 500 in any skill for that matter...

"Eh... to be fair, I did have help at first... then I went on my own to start an independent business," Lisbeth said modestly.

"In that case... I've been holding a special item for quite some time... I was wondering if you'd be interested in doing a favor for me..." I trailed off tantalizingly. Her intrigue sparked up.

"Well, it depends... let's see," she said smirking.

I operated the trade menu and displayed what I had. Her eyes opened up noticeably.

"You think you could handle it?" I challenged teasingly. She smirked openly.

"Oh I think so. I've been waiting for a challenge..." she said appreciatively. "You and me are going to be best friends!" She exclaimed excitedly. "So what's on your mind?"

"Hmm... well if you could make a new sword, I'd consider paying you a sumptuous amount..."

* * *

I reached the 20th floor alone. I proceeded to link up the «Teleport Gate». I took in the surroundings silently.

It was quiet and foggy. Kind of mysterious and hard to describe. I walked into town like a ghost. I entered a vacant bar, sat down in the corner at an empty table and pondered.

"That last fight was too taxing..." I admitted grudgingly. 24 deaths... damn. I was forced to wonder, what if Violet hadn't warned me beforehand? Would I have still won? Or would I have died? What if?...

_No. I can't accept defeat, or any kind of weakness for that matter..._ I thought stubbornly. Then I thought about what she had said.

Apparently the 25th floor was going to be a bitch to deal with. I wondered what kind of dangers waited that would apparently 'test' me. In the long run... maybe it was best to accept Violet's help. I mean, I didn't know anything about her, but she seemed to know an awful lot.

_Maybe..._ A small voice said in my head. Although it was hard to admit, I had to be realistic. And plus, if Violet's advice pulled through, I could see my sister sooner than I thought.

_Being the best wasn't enough..._

**A/N And finally I wrap up that chapter. Sorry it took a week. Hoped it was long enough though. I want to give thanks for all those who have read the entire story thus far and have patiently waited. I want to especially give thanks to those who favorited, followed, and reviewed the story. Though, I could do with a few more reviews, I appreciate those that did. So what'd you think? Was it a good choice to implement more fight scenes? Or would you prefer more dialogue and character interaction? I thought it was pretty good, but that's just me. I do happen to have one request. Well, two actually. One is that I feel way too lazy to come up with names for the other 4 members in Klein's group so I would appreciate some help. They have to be male btw, no offense to the ladies reading this. Two, if you think you know who 'Violet' is, try not to spoil it. That's all, and thank you for your time. Please R & R~ **


	9. Tightening the Grip

**A/N Hi guys! At last I've regained the vigor to create a new chapter. I guess I just needed a break to get some inspiration and respite. Looking back on the story, a lot has happened, hasn't it? But... I think I need to try a few new implementations... Anyways, I appreciate all those who followed, favorited, and/or reviewed, whether you're a casual reader or a true investor. Regardless of whether or not you like the story, I give my thanks if you've at least read everything so far. Note: My summer is almost over, so there may be longer waits for updates. Sorry, but I doubt 10th grade is very generous in giving me leisure time. In any case, I'm going to try and appeal to my readers' tastes and maybe a few requests, but I'm going to keep writing this story the way I have so far. If you don't like it, no one's forcing you to. Happy reading~**

I stared outside the window. The universal way of showing you're in deep thought, or are a wannabe philosopher. The grey fog misted over my eyes and provided an endless view of visible moisture.

_It's like a void..._ I mused thoughtfully. _A bleak and unknown future... empty... for now, at least._

I was resting on a bed which I had pushed right next to the window on the left side. In case you have poor memory, the frontliners and myself were currently on the 20th floor. A fifth of the way through... or maybe just 4 fifths of the way left... however you want to look at it.

It had taken, what, a few months to get this far?

A result brought by the accumulation of various efforts and numerous sacrifices. In retrospect, maybe a few unnecessary tributes as well...

In spite of remaining alive, I sometimes thought about all those who had died so far. And when the pessimism got to me, I wondered if it would ever be my turn to accept the end.

Obviously, I didn't linger on that thought. But on the occasion when I wasn't having a good day, I was reminded that death, despite in all its distasteful qualities, offered a grim comfort. Dead people don't **feel **like those who are alive. They don't have to suffer the fear of dying or the horrific degrees in which we must go through just to keep living. Actually, 'must' is the wrong word. It's a choice to live. And sometimes... there's a choice to die.

_I've seen death so many times... _I thought passively. My mind seemed empty of happy thoughts, and hope was devoid. A vacant spot in my heart was filled with despair. The rest of the space was crowded with fear, anger, hatred and frustration.

There were moments, I'll admit, that I felt that life inside this death game wasn't so bad. Asuna reminded me of everything I thought I could never have again. Peace, companionship, affection, in a single word, happiness. But in the end I was snapped back to reality and gravity pulled my spirits down again. Having faced near-death twice by now was making me feel doubt in my ability. I would never let it show, but slowly I came to grips with life and started fearing the truth. I may have been reaching the limits of a solo quicker than I thought.

The arrogance in my mind rejected this belief immediately, but the thought always remained in the back of my mind.

_It could've been me,_ I thought silently. _Or it could've been one of those close to me... I've been a bit careless..._

I know it was selfish to be glad neither of the above had happened, but I couldn't help it. It's hard to suppress unpleasant thoughts that may come true. A nightmare full of sorrow... haunting me with no tomorrow...

But that was enough, I guess. You came here for a story didn't you?

On the next night, I ventured into the fog under the cover of darkness. The grassy fields were dipped in a foot of water at lowest, 3 feet at deepest. A rice paddy farm? Maybe...

There were tall stalks of grass blades, useful for camouflage and stalking. I walked among them like a wraith governing its territory. Tonight's weather was a cool breeze and a bright waning moon. A crescent. It kinda looked like a smile, or a frown, I guess, depending on your perception. I waded through, waiting for the call of prey.

After I had ditched Klein's guild, it was an unspoken agreement that my contract was fulfilled. I saw him once in town and as expected he complained and raised a debate. I quelled this squabble with the argument that I had already stayed longer than I had to on his insistence. He fell silent grudgingly but I could hear the mumbling all the while I was walking away. Hmph. How unappreciative.

I called up Argo after that small delay to meet me in yet another bar. To get on her good side for more information, I offered her another drink in which she took her time to order a rather upscale drink high on the alcoholic content. If only her parents were here...

After wasting an extra 20 minutes deciphering her slurred words(and a mental note to order water next time) I set my sights on tracking down a particularly elusive target.

There had been recent attacks on player camps in the wild. Some of the more cavalier levelers had been attempting to claim a hunting ground for themselves. Needless to say, I found out that they were nothing more than non-frontliners who were foolishly emboldened by tales of great deeds by the more experienced players. Mainly myself.

Although flattered as I am, I gave a patronizing scoff at their efforts. This was a job for me.

I heard a feral growl in the distance. I licked my lips slightly in satisfaction for my patience. I didn't have a rifle, but I was hunting big game today.

I crept quietly through the wet grass. I parted the grass blades carefully to widen my range of vision. I caught the flick of tail in sight. I hastened to quicken my pace.

The beast I was after was a tiger. But not the regular orange-colored ones. This one had white fur and blue eyes. From the description of the survivors, this specimen in particular was more ferocious than the rest. There were also a few more distinct qualities. For instance, the speed of this pernicious feline was well above usual parameters, which may even rival mine at top speed. Other features were the noticeably sharpened claws and teeth which could potentially dismember an unprepared victim. But I was not a victim, I was a predator.

The penultimate characteristic of this wildcat was its heightened senses. It could become aware of approaching opposition from anywhere, including from above and below, which rendered ambushes from the water or trees useless. However, the most dangerously volatile factor, was its intelligence. This specific tiger was able to adapt at an alarmingly quick rate to the attack patterns of its adversary. Once it found a weakness, it would certainly break the body of its prey and dig in with its 6 inch fangs.

Under normal circumstances, this was suicide. Under my circumstances, this was what I called 'fun'.

I reached the edge of the bank. The tiger was resting in a clearing. The moon complemented its fur and gave off an ethereal glow. Very majestic.

_Well, the Egyptians did worship cats..._ I mused irrelevantly. I drew out a fully fused **Black Fire Dart.** _But I'm not Egyptian..._

I aimed carefully at the eye of the tiger, excitement rose because this was the thrill of the fight. I shot the projectile.

Obviously, this was too easy to work, which is why it failed. The tiger didn't disappoint me and with nerves of steel, dodged the dart.

_I was looking for some sport,_ I thought coming out of the grass. I quickly scanned the area. A few trees, some rocks and lots of bushes. Not much environmental advantage.

My hiding skill was quite high in comparison to everyone else, but since I gave away my position, there was no point in using cover except as a stationary wall between me and the prey.

I came into eye contact with the tiger. We circled each other, slowly stalking the other. I kept waiting for an opening or at least for the opposition to make the first move, but apparently not. The tiger seemed to be doing the same thing, albeit it wasn't as patient as I was and gave a growl of frustration. That signaled it would attack soon. I drew out a store-bought «Steel Knife» and held it in reverse grip. I didn't usually use anything but a sword and occasionally darts, but to match this beast, I would have to be as quick as possible.

The tiger reared up and paused for a moment. In that time I was able to identify its name. «Sabertooth».

It pounced at me and I rolled out of the way, just barely. It countered by immediately turning around and jumping again. I was not so lucky that time.

I hit the ground pretty hard. The impact from the paws pressing against my chest was nearly overwhelming. This thing was what, 600 pounds? And I could bench what, maybe 150?... Crap... this thing was at least four times that equipped with razor-sharp claws and teeth. I managed to barely keep it at bay by swinging the blade in its face. It had me pinned against a rock and there was no one else around.

"I don't suppose we could work something out?" I asked it humorously. It snapped at my neck which forced me to push its mouth away.

"I guess not... ugh, your breath smells like canned tuna," I commented displeased. "Well then, kitty's going to need mouthwash, isn't he?"

I frantically tried to stab it in the eye but a moving target is very annoying to get a lock on. Fortunately, or unfortunately, there was a distraction. A howl in the distance followed by rapid movements which sounded like many pairs of paws. I took my chance and stabbed the blade deep into its right eye.

Let's just say it was in mild pain.

I rolled out from its clutches all the while systematically drawing my Knightsword out. Unfortunately, the knife went too deep into the tiger's socket so I couldn't pull it out. Regardless, I had a new threat to worry about. A pack of wolves turned up and surrounded me. I identified them as «Wolverines».

"Please don't tell me you have adamantium claws..." I whispered. They snarled at me and the rogue tiger. I doubted that I could team up with the tiger to take these guys down. Let's just say he might be 'slightly' inclined to refuse my offer.

Most of the wolf pack attacked the feline target. I guess it was because of an instinctual rivalry between them descending from an ancestral relationship dating back to who knows how long. That made it easier for me to deal with fewer attackers.

_Dogs and cats on the same floor?..._ I wondered amused. _What great level designing... that idea is as good as Red Sox and Yankee Fans together... or George Bush and the English language._

I dealt with the dogs with notable ease. That is, until a huge animal knocked me over from behind. I scrambled to my feet.

A red and black furred wolf stared ravenously at me. It looked like the Alpha of the group. I tensed the grip on my sword handle.

"Come to get me, Rover?" I quipped out while cautiously monitoring its movements. "I certainly didn't send **you **over."

I looked for anything I could use to distract it. I was here for the tiger, not to play with puppies. Luckily, I spotted a bone in the bush. Following the trail, I saw numerous skeletal pieces littered among the forest floor near a bush. Something got merced pretty bad. RIP to wherever you are. I snatched a bone and tossed it out of sight.

"Fetch," I called out and miraculously it ran after the bone. I turned my attention to the tiger. It had managed to bite the dust with about half the wolves. I guess I would just wait until it weakened itself and then steal the kill. I vaguely wondered what had killed the... deer? Elk? Moose? I couldn't really tell, and then-

Another growl. Speak of the devil.

_Are you fucking serious? _I exclaimed mentally exasperated. I looked around and panicked slightly.

A huge black bear was standing there giving me a deadly look. The yellow eyes were kinda creeping me out.

_Shit,_ I remarked mentally. _It's Smokey... I didn't even start a wildfire..._

Now it was a party. Dogs, cats, a huge-ass grizzly bear and me caught in the middle. Perfect night.

I eyed the surrounding threats warily. All were a danger so I had to consider my options carefully. One wrong move, and I could be the prey this time.

The newcomer was slowly advancing... towards me. Of course. I'm quite popular like that.

Unfortunately, I couldn't risk taking a shot at it, or any of the others. Even with only a slight delay in drawing time, that was enough for this thing to jump me. My darts would have to wait another day. Plus, the fur might be thicker than I thought.

The bear charged straight at me and I managed to flee behind another tree trunk for cover. I heard the grating scratch upon the previous tree I was backed into and the growl of frustration from the bear who was unsatisfied with missing its mark. I wondered how I was going to get away and still manage to complete my original objective. That tiger had too much of a bounty on its head for me to abandon. I would need such funds for future investments.

_Ugh... another sticky situation... _I complained mentally. _Wait... sticky... that's it! _Sticky was exactly the solution to this problem. But not the 'sticky' you found in Halo multiplayer and not the one you might've been thinking of...

I extracted an item from my storage. I started smearing the substance along the trees. Hopefully this would work. If not, I had nothing else.

The bear jumped out from a corner and started coming towards me. I gulped silently. But then it started sniffing the air. Then it started licking the trees. Oh thank Christ this actually worked...

I had applied gluttonous amounts of honey upon the tree bark to distract the bear. I guess my childhood actually taught me something useful. Winnie the Pooh wasn't all for show.

With the bear and Rover temporarily inattentive, I could turn my attention to the «Sabertooth». All I had to do was bag it and call it a day. I scanned its health. It was still battling and had finally been driven into the red zone. All I needed was one shot. I drew out my fully fused **Black Fire Dart** which had at last recharged from cooling.

It took a split-second for the projectile to travel the air. It took another for the hit to kill the tiger. Mission success. Or so I thought...

The wolves immediately turned their attention towards me.

_Yeah... didn't think about that part..._ I thought while mentally berating myself for my carelessness with mixed feelings. I achieved my goal... now I just had to bail out somehow...

_Calm down, _I ordered myself. _I can probably come up with some elaborately improvised plan with fancy escape maneuvers and..._ The wolves were closing in fast.

_...Or I can just say 'fuck it' and run..._ And that was exactly what I did. I wasn't on the track team in school, but I was sure even without my sprinting level, I was running pretty goddamn fast.

I glanced over my shoulder to check for my pursuers. They were still on me pretty close behind keeping the pace with constant splashing steps in the water. Unfortunately, unlike cats, dogs didn't mind getting wet. I was nearing the town. I had to cut them loose.

I skidded forcefully to a halt and swerved around while drawing my blade. I decided to face them here and then to be over with it. I wish I had another bone or a few biscuits to buy myself some time, but I guess the hard way is always the most practical one.

* * *

I was able to defeat them relatively quick within a five minute skirmish. I still had a few scars though, while walking into town. While my back was turned, with the opposition seemingly vanquished, Rover came back from behind and managed to give me a facial job. I didn't even shave yet...

I stabbed him through the heart and kicked the dog to finish him off. Mangy mutt. The scars were slight and would heal in a few days. Still, I looked terrible. At least in my view. My hair was pretty messed up too.

I walked into a bar. I met up with the camp survivors who had hired me to take care of the «Sabertooth». I showed them the 8 «Sabertooth Fangs» I had earned from the hunt. Their eyes lit up in amazement and admiration. Earlier on, most of the group had showed signs of condescension and doubt. Specifically, the males of the group. I was used to proving people wrong and showing them up correspondingly. I had now gained their respect and apparently a mini-fanclub from the girls in the group. I dismissed their attempts to enter a relationship with me and asked indifferently for the payment due. It was 50k upfront and 300 when I got the job done. I should've 'asked' for extra to compensate for the added trouble. I wasn't prepared for gatecrashers at the party which delayed me and took up more time than necessary. All the while when they were comfortably sitting here partying.

"I did my part. Now it's your turn," I asked a little demandingly. I was shorter than the guy I was threatening but it wasn't about height, it was about aura. My presence alone could turn the temperature down 30 degrees and my eyes held a violent intent if I didn't like something. Plus, wearing all black definitely helps.

"Chill man, it's all here," the guy said nervously tossing over the bag. I caught it with one hand. Heavy. Very heavy. I checked the bag and let the system calculate the amount of currency inside. 300k exactly.

"Everything seems to be in order," I declared coolly masking my satisfaction. "Next time, level up a bit first or at least bring a frontliner," I lectured briefly in a professional manner. "That's not me," I added addressing the girls who looked hopeful and about to ask me the obvious. They looked disappointed at having their chances shot down, but I really didn't care. I turned to leave.

"What's your name?" Asked a white-haired girl. She was 5 feet tall and looked very pretty with long, straight hair, golden eyes, wearing a white overall skirt, blue short-sleeved jacket, a light khaki-colored boater hat with a chocolate band around it, and a green-strapped pink handbag.

"And you are?..." I answered back. She looked a little shy but responded.

"I came along with my friends because they pressured me into it. I didn't really want to fight on the frontlines..." She confessed and I felt a little sympathetic. Then I replied to the previous question.

"It doesn't matter who I am, what matters is what I've done. This was a one-time job, so we probably won't ever see each other again," I stated openly and unrefined. She looked a bit disappointed. She was the only one who didn't queue up to me. I decided not to leave things on a harsh note.

"You should make your own decisions," I called out to her over my shoulder and she looked up. "Submitting to someone's will is the easy way out. When I find Kayaba, you'll know it was me," I declared resolutely. The girl gave me an admiring stare and said thank you. I smiled ever so slightly and walked off to a secluded table near the corner.

"You never told me your name," she pointed out before I got away and I sighed. How persistent.

"If we meet again, I'll tell you then. Deal?" I offered hoping she would cease her questioning. She nodded and shook my hand. I waved her goodbye and went over to my destination. I collapsed appreciatively into my chair. While slumping down, the waiter came over.

"Drink, sir?" I looked up and was surprised to see a female player serving me. NPC shops hired players? Or maybe this was a player-owned shop, possibly... whatever. Hmm, I'll admit this blonde looked pretty cute.

"Surprise me," I suggested to her and she nodded hurrying over behind the counter to get my drink. I was too tired to make an actual choice and water was kind of getting old.

She came back with a bottle of brown beverage which I eyed carefully. After inspecting it closely, I decided to just take a swig.

_What the hell? This actually tastes good,_ I thought astonished. I took a few more drafts until I emptied it.

"Say uh, what is this drink?" I asked the waitress.

"That would be malt beer, sir," she answered quickly. Really now? I had to note that for the future.

"In that case," I said pulling out a small bag of money and tossing it at her. "Dispense with the formalities, and get me another. Actually- make that a dozen," I responded urgently.

"Uh, I don't mean to question you, but this is 1000 Col. Malt beer is only 50..." she revealed honestly. How virtuous.

"Then put it on my tab, or take it as a tip, I really don't care what you do with it," I said dismissively and she nodded, complying to my request. Soon enough she brought a carton of malt beers and laid it down on the table. I cracked them open by knocking the caps off on the edge of the table. Then I started chugging them down one by one. I downed the first one pretty quick then I decided to savor the rest. I slouched back relaxedly gulping down the sweet taste with my eyes closed in pure ecstasy. This was nearly as good as soda.

"You look quite fashionable," said an angelic voice. I smirked slightly and opened my eyes to address the newcomer.

"It's great to see you too, Asuna," I replied casually. She frowned at me.

"Who was that girl you were talking to?" She asked suspiciously. I gave a slightly amused glance.

_Is Asuna getting jealous? How cute, she cares, _I mused to myself.

"I don't know, why don't you go find out? Maybe you'll find a new side to yourself," I put offhandedly. She blushed and gave me an angrily embarrassed expression.

"Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?" She said dangerously with a flustered countenance. I continued playing around with her. I had drunken 6 bottles out of 13 so far. I think the alcoholic content might've influenced me a bit in my current condition but I really didn't worry too much.

"Well, it would be pretty hot if you were bisexual, I mean I have a tripod camera and everything. We could shoot it with night vision," I joked lightheartedly. She didn't take it that way though... and I felt my shoulder nearly getting dislocated from her punch.

"You deserved that one..." She muttered quietly and I couldn't deny that.

"Ouch... that really bites..." I hissed out a cry of pain. Her expression became more concerned and showed regret for her actions. But not completely of course...

I saw her examining my scars and I felt like I was at the doctor's again.

"Did you get mauled by a tiger?" She asked concernedly.

"It was a dog..." I muttered quietly.

"What?" She asked for clarification.

"It was a **big **dog," I voiced louder admitting the bashful truth. She sort of smirked at me in a humored way, and sighed at my misfortune.

"Know your limits, Kirito," Asuna warned gently. I appreciated the concern, but disregarded it nonetheless.

"**Alpha _has_ _no limits_**_,"_ I argued back. She scoffed silently at me.

"Well, **you** do, Kirito," she reminded me. Her expression was adamant. I passed it off unconcernedly.

"Well, can't afford to know 'em," I expressed rebelliously.

"And what happens on the day that you find out?" Asuna asked ardently.

"Well, we all know how much you like to say 'I told you so'," I responded pointedly. She rolled her eyes.

"On that day, Kirito, even **I **won't want to... probably," she added truthfully in an afterthought. I smirked at her honesty.

"There we go, that conditional word, 'probably'. It really makes a difference," I stated with air quotes to suggest my sarcastic doubt.

"Oh shut up and pass me a drink," she said disdainfully. I smirked to infuriate her further.

"Say 'please'," I corrected her and she gave me a death glare. I didn't waver and she finally relented.

"Please," she added this time and I slid a bottle over.

"Knock yourself out," I remarked playfully and she commented 'unlikely' under her breath. Same old Asuna.

"Why are you here anyway, if I might ask?" I questioned wonderingly in a courteous tone. It's not that I minded her presence, it just invoked curiosity.

"It's my day off, and I wanted to see if you were alive or not," Asuna answered curtly. Aww, she cares...

"I'm here, aren't I?" I said explicitly pointing out the obvious.

"Apparently... including your ego," she added distastefully. "Is that why you have so many friends?" Ouch... that hurt.

"That was uncalled for," I responded defensively pretending to be hurt.

"On the contrary, I think it was **much **called for," she replied debatingly. How cruel...

"Whatever," I dismissed relaxedly. I wasn't in the mood for a verbal spar anyhow.

"In any case, I wanted to see if you were in fit condition for the floor battle two days from now," she stated additionally. I rolled my eyes in disbelief.

"Please, I could solo that thing blindfolded," I remarked haughtily. She sighed exasperated.

"I'm sure you could," Asuna said sarcastically. "But please take this seriously," she added with a stern gaze.

"I always do," I assured her. "Promise."

Asuna gave me a pleading look.

"Don't make a girl a promise if you know you can't keep it," she noted sadly. I felt a sudden rush of guilt.

"Sorry..." I apologized quietly. I looked up and saw someone by the door.

Violet.

"I'm gonna have to get back to you," I said abruptly standing up. "Keep in touch, Asuna. Take care of yourself," I added smiling bittersweetly and she returned it.

"I will if you do the same," she vowed. I nodded solemnly.

"It's a deal," I agreed and walked out the door and into the night after briefly grasping her hand. She gave me a warm, tender smile and said goodbye.

"Stay safe," she whispered gently.

* * *

"I hope you had fun?" Violet said to me as we continued walking on the barren dirt path. The fog was never-ending as always here. Weather conditions never seemed to stray off the usual. Kinda like London and the rain.

"In a way," I admitted phrasing it carefully. "Now that you're here, I'm sure the fun's about to end," I remarked darkly.

She pretended to be offended.

"Are you calling me a bad omen?" She asked woundedly.

"I'm calling you suspicious because you haven't really told me anything," I answered her bluntly.

"Fair enough. Well, you just made a deal with her. Why don't we make a deal?" Violet proposed to me. I narrowed my eyes in wariness.

"And by that you mean?..."

"Work with me. Until I find what I'm looking for, at least. Then you can terminate our 'contract'. I'll provide you with advantageous knowledge in whatever your endeavors are. In return, you do favors for me when I call for you. To be fair, you have to help me as much as I help you. Fair enough?"

That sounded like a good deal to me, but I still had my doubts. To this point, I had no personal information on this girl, even though she knew quite a bit about me. There was only one way to ascertain her sincerity.

"Prove it," I declared sounding unconvinced as Tom Riddle.

"As you wish..." Violet said yielding to my obstinance. I crossed my arms in defiance.

"Klein is the first friend you ever had in this world, besides Argo. But then you abandoned him back on the 1st floor in pursuit of your own agenda, or perhaps a better term would be 'lifestyle'. Argo is your personal info dealer and occasionally gives you discounts which makes up for the fact that she consistently annoys you. In addition she provides an in-depth knowledge of many subjects which makes her the best info broker... besides me. As for Asuna..." Violet trailed off smirkingly. I didn't like that smile.

"She became sub-commander on **your **behalf, because while you absolutely loathe guilds, you grudgingly admit the advantages of it. Isn't it ironic to hate your own advice?" She added wonderingly. I gave a grunt of dissatisfaction. Damn... this girl was good. If only I knew how she got her information.

"You also broke her heart back on the 8th floor, and attempted to avoid making anymore contact than necessary. But fate does not seem to play out that way, now does it, Kirito-chan?" Violet hinted teasingly. Oh no... not that nickname again...

"Continuing on, it is extraordinary that she **still **has strong feelings for you. Despite your many flaws, and yes, I mean **many,**" she added on rather vexatiously. The most infuriating part was that I had no comeback.

"That was a bitch move..." I remarked scornfully hiding the fact that I felt emotional when she said Asuna still had strong feelings for me.

"That just means it's true," Violet replied with unwavering cordiality. It sounded pretty harsh to me though. I didn't like getting harped on for my shortcomings.

"Anything else you want to tell me?" I asked indifferently.

"We can fix your mistakes, Kirito," Violet voiced quietly and that got my attention. "And I can help you achieve your goals. Including assistance to help you find answers... and perhaps closure," she added as a side note. I had feeling on what she was hinting at, so I let her continue.

"I know what you've been thinking. Call it a girl's intuition. But no matter you do, you can't repress who you are. You feel doubt, guilt, fear and sadness like everyone else. You are not, and you **will not** be enough **alone**... you have to admit that first. Face it, you couldn't save everyone, you've let people die, you've killed a fellow human being, and in all honesty, you wish you didn't care. But you do, and I've seen it. You've done great things, there's no denying it, but that's not enough. Despite constantly risking your life, that does not excuse you. One day, you will have to take responsibility. You will have to face your own past, and deal with whatever consequences your actions bring."

I mulled on what she had said, and slowly I started to trust her, bit by bit. There was much truth in her words, but I didn't admit it out loud.

"I'll give you a chance. Then you can decide whether or not you want to work with me. The murder on the 13th floor was nothing to be taken lightly. I don't have any names, but I assure you there was more than one individual involved. If you want to find them, let them find you. On a second note, guild tensions are particularly high and rising, so you may want to be careful in what you do around them..." Violent warned cautiously. I narrowed my eyes in dawning perception.

"You mean the Big Three?" I said referring to the colloquial term alluding to the Army, Divine Dragon Alliance, and Knights of the Blood Oath.

"Precisely," she confirmed and I scoffed.

"Even at their best, they can't threaten me. I could take all of them on, single-handedly," I declared pridefully and Violet gave a small laugh at my response.

"Really now? At 3000+ just from the Army?" She tested and that dampened my confidence just slightly.

"It would require several hours, give or take a few," I stated defensively trying to be accurate. Violet smirked at me amused.

"I admire the fact that you would try, but let's be realistic. You're not invincible, you know..." she pointed out irritatingly.

"I'm close enough..." I muttered defensively and she chuckled softly.

"Your arrogance is a definite weakness... at the same time it is a strength. But only in rare exceptions... I guess that makes you pretty special," Violet commented and I wondered what she meant by that.

"'Special?'" I repeated questioningly.

"In a good way... I would advise you to stay clear of the Army in particular to avoid the most trouble... they're led by, if I recall correctly, someone named Kibaou... you may know him," she added and I scoffed scornfully. Oh I knew him alright... he forced me to take action back on the 1st floor. "There are rumors of more... incriminating dealings, but nothing confirmed. At the minimum, it is highly startling on his sudden ascension to power. He has much influence and it would wise to keep a wary mind on him. " Violet advised.

"An upswing is the most likely to meet a downfall," I countered and Violet admitted that with a 'touché'.

"The final thing you should note, is that during your time here, you may run into... strange occurrences. A discrepancy in the game world. What I would advise is if you spot it, **DO NOT GET CLOSER**, and run away. It's more trouble than it's worth..." she trailed off mysteriously and I couldn't resist inquiring further.

"What do you mean, 'discrepancy'? 'Strange occurrences'? That sounds awfully suspicious... don't you have any other details?" I demanded roughly. She shook her head.

"I'd tell you if I could, but I have no idea what 'form' it will take. Just be careful in what you're doing and where you go," she cautioned me. I was not satisfied with that answer, but it would have to do.

"So I'm in the dark... at least for now, right?" I asked for confirmation. She nodded in return.

"Just remember one thing. Curiosity killed the cat. Wait, Kirito, and I will promise you the answers someday. When the time is right," she said solemnly. I acquiesced to her esotericism.

"Then I'll be waiting," I said with miffed acceptance.

"Give it some time, it'll prove worth it. I'll be waiting on the 26th floor for your answer," she said and waved me goodbye. I stopped her before she could leave.

"One more question, if I may," I asked her pressingly. She turned around with a slight smirk.

"Sorry, but you can't ask me for my number or email. We haven't even gone on a date," she jested and I rolled my eyes. That's wasn't the question at all...

"I'm taking a shot in the dark, but do you know anything about the other Rare Drops I missed?" I requested a little desperately. I had to know about my competition. "Argo's been avoiding the question cause she can't get any details."

"«Mjölnir Hammer», «Mate Chopper», and «Draconic Sabre», that's all I can give you," Violet disclosed formally. Interesting names.

"What about Rare Drops I don't have? «Ivory Talons», «Snakebiter», things like that?" I pressed on inquiringly.

"You'll have to find out for yourself, I'm not going to spoon-feed you everything..." she stated smartly. How fresh...

"Fine..." I remarked resentfully, but she was right.

"Also, don't assume all Rare Drops come exclusively from bosses..." Violet hinted subtly.

"So there might be other threats out there that I don't even know of... including player-made items..." I said presumably. Violet nodded her approval of my intuition.

"Most custom-made items aren't of high quality and are more for personal taste than practical use... but occasionally there are exceptional creations..." She elaborated further.

"Is that all you can tell me?" I asked and she smirked at me.

"Oh you're quite expectant, aren't you? I'm spoiling you, but, 'Nothing ventured, nothing gained', I'm sure you can work that out for yourself..." she trailed off mockingly but in a friendly way. A quote from Chaucer?... Great. Another riddle to decipher...

"That's very vague..." I voiced in a vexed tone. She sighed exasperated at my impudent persistence.

"Ever play Metroid? Let's just say backtracking has its benefits... patience is a virtue if you wish to be rewarded," Violet said knowledgeably.

"I see... well, Aincrad is quite large, so I'll take a horse to conserve my crystals," I stated fixedly. Violet was inclined to disagree.

"You could... but it would draw more attention..." she pointed out. I sighed tiredly.

"I see... well, walking's healthy..." I muttered. "Anything else you want to tell me?" I added.

"You'll find something 'extra' every 10 floors... I hope you're in shape," she added analytically checking me over. I raised my eyebrow in question.

"Why's that?" I asked warily.

"Oh you'll know when you get there..." Violet trailed off unconcernedly.

"Right..." I whispered doubtfully.

"Well, it's been lovely chatting, but like you, I'm busy. I expect you to make up your mind by the 26th floor, so don't disappoint me," she said dismissively and left without another word. I scoffed slightly.

_Make up my mind? __I'll make it up when I **want** to..._ I mused to myself.

The area leading to the dungeon on this floor was called the «Sunshine Forest». Though I've yet to see sunshine... literally and figuratively.

* * *

Two days really pass by quick and it was only a matter of time until we were walking up to the floors leading to the boss room. Prior to our arrival, 'we' had to fight off insect enemies named «Killer Mantises». I say 'we' because I didn't anything to help and just walked through evading the hostiles while I let everyone else do the work. Needless to say I met a lot of negative reception from the other frontliners except for Asuna who remained silent out of familiarization with my behavior.

"Oi, Kirito! That was a dick move, man! You could help us out a bit!" Klein groused at me. Even his team caviled at me joining in with the general carping. I scoffed insensately.

"Well, if I did everything, what would be left for you?" I countered indifferently. That shut him up effectively. "I do what I want, when I want to," I said coldly.

I could still hear the group behind me inveighing all the way to the boss room.

You know what happens next, Heathcliff talks, blah blah blah, and we dramatically open the doors and enter for a fight in order to gain access to the next floor. One step closer, or perhaps one step less. I feel slightly positive today, so one step closer. But I was only ever moderately positive, never upbeat. Otherwise, my narration would suck and be much less interesting.

We slowly and cautiously advanced into the area. It was quite spacious and dusty. The ground was comprised of sand and from the smell, dried blood. The surrounding area was circular and housed ruins similar to the coliseum in Rome. There were skeletons scattered everywhere with remnants of armor, shattered shields, and weapons stuck into the ground. How promising.

Soon enough, a feral growl alerted us to the advent of the boss. A large tiger leapt down from a good 30 feet above. In a moment, we all identified its name.

«Catastrophe».

"That is a horrible pun," whispered Asuna and I smiled briefly.

"I can make a worse one," I commented in return and she rolled her eyes but smiled back.

"Undoubtedly..." she assented to my statement. More tigers appeared around us. Then suddenly a howl echoed through the vicinity. Wolves. Fuck, it's just not my day...

* * *

The battle was similar to the one I fought with the «Sabretooth». This time I had the advantage of 'teammates'. By that I meant decoys.

We spent most of the battle using the ruins as cover and utilizing the weapons and shields spread around the arena. I tried to take the high ground but the boss followed me.

I backed up near the edge as it approached towards me menacingly. I heard a rock fall over. I looked over my shoulder. A 50 foot drop. If it was any other time, I would've loved to try skydiving.

The tiger grew closer. I had no other alternatives. I leaned back and fell from the platform.

I backflipped in midair and drew out my sword and plunged it into the pillar skidding down to a screeching halt, then I dismounted from the column ordered everyone around me to hack at the foundation to crumble the standing structure. The ruin collapsed but I scanned through the dust to see the boss. It only loss about a 1/4th of a bar. What a tough kitty...

I scanned the area for anything I could use. Besides the column I just destroyed, there was only one other advantage I could use. I spotted a large infrastructure. That building.

I organized Klein's guild into undermining the base to topple the building and await my signal. I used other players to distract the tiger while trying to get a clear shot on it. In the end I wasted 4 shots out of 7 but I managed to decelerate its speed and land both a **Red **and **Black Dart** on it. Regrettably, it tore through the players in its way, but they were left alive at least for its attention seemed to be focused on me. What great news.

I lured it to my designated trap. I made the mistake of turning around to check for Klein and his group, and in that instant it pounced on me and I was forced to redirect my attention to it. It made attempts to bury its teeth into my neck but I held it at bay just barely with my Knightsword pushing it back. This scene was all too familiar. I nodded to Klein. But he made a shocked face and shook his head in realization of my plan.

"Dude, you'll get CRUSHED! I'm not doing it!" He protested and tried to reason with me. I didn't have time for people questioning me, but I was between a rock and a hard place. In my present situation, I could do nothing. Everyone else was busy with fighting off dogs and cats and here I am pinned down by one. If only I didn't waste my darts so soon...

My vision was blurred, but I saw a flame in the background and suddenly the building started falling down, and I was caught in the impact radius. The last thing I remember was a shattering sound: a shattering just like glass.

* * *

I couldn't believe it. Kirito-kun just... he just... right before my eyes.

I was so shocked I couldn't even cry. But... there's no way he could just... no...

I refused to accept what I had just seen. I was struck numb, but then Klein shook me on the shoulder. His eyes held much grief, but he gestured for me to regain my composure and lead on. I hated to admit it, but he was right. I couldn't linger and mourn... actually, it's more accurate to say I 'shouldn't'. After everyone else left, I asked Heathcliff for permission so I could stay and pay my respects. My feelings were in a disarray and my heart hurt beyond all measures, but if I had to accept reality, I would take as much time as it took.

That's when I broke down.

I started crying intensely but silently while clutching my chest. My heart was beating irregularly and I couldn't stop the mental bleeding. He was just there, and then he was gone.

I don't know how long I sat there grieving but it was long enough that the pain started to dull. I wiped my eyes and left the scene with an immensely heavy heart.

I still had guild duties to fulfill. I had to look out for everyone else. I would have to arrange time for a proper farewell when I got the chance.

The 21st floor was another sea-based floor. Terrain was limited and freshwater surrounded the area. We arrived at the main town «Coralia». There was a salty smell and the scent of fried fish and other seafood.

I couldn't really enjoy myself due to recent events. But true to my goal, I forced myself to work. Even though I'd rather give up right now...

* * *

I was immobilized. Unconsciously so. The collision struck me head-on quite literally. I managed to stab the tiger in the mouth, using myself as a pivot to thrust the sword in further. Had I been a split-second later, I would've died. But you really didn't think I'd perform such a glorious act of self-sacrifice, now did you?

Back on the 14th after I vanquished «Knightingale», I obtained a Rare Drop that I had kept stowed away for later. Miraculously, this was exactly what I needed for a situation like this. My salvation was based on luck, but I didn't complain. I forced myself to start digging in order to excavate myself out. I was not going to become a fossil... not yet at least.

It was difficult work, then again, I was digging from the inside. It reminded me of that earthquake scene in Battlefield 3. Needless to say, the real thing was much less promising.

After exhaustive effort, I managed to pull myself out of the rubble. I was grateful for being able to survive that. The grace of God must've been on my side. Psych! Obviously it was all me. The luster of the new ring on my finger shone as arrogantly as I did.

«Mecha Exo»  
**A ring made of the cohesive fusion between Darksteel and Adamant, it allows the user temporary invincibility. In return, mobility is restricted except for the eyes and movements for breathing. Every usage requires a health zone i.e. Green to Yellow; Yellow to Red. Cooldown for every usage is 6 minutes. Invincibility lasts proportionately to the player's level multiplied by 1 second. This item cannot be upgraded.**

That meant I could use it for 47 seconds. After that I was on my own again. Under normal circumstances, most people can't lift the weight of exceptionally heavy rubble, but in SAO, it depended on your strength parameter, and serendipitously my level was high enough to remove the obstruction.

It seemed like my original plan had worked. Still... it was too convenient for the building to just fall without an outside catalyst... I wonder...

Shaking my head, I checked for the LA Bonus I just got.

«Shard of Midnight»  
**A dagger of darkness, with maxed out speed and deflection capabilities. The specs of this weapon are nearly unparalleled by any other in its class. This short blade has inherited 75% Dark damage, and the passive ability to raise agility, acrobatics, and hiding skills by 25%. This weapon also has a special ability called 'Dark Strike' requiring a 3 minute Cooldown after usage. While using 'Dark Strike', chances of a critical hit increase by 20%. If during this time, a weapon is broken by decay or critical upon contact, an additional 10% Dark damage will be applied to the weapon's owner for Backlash Damage. 'Dark Strike' lasts for 30 seconds. This item cannot be upgraded.**

Well, I had lost a knife earlier, so this more than made up for it. I packed my things, switched out of 2nd Gen Midnight to 3rd and put on my hood. Then I headed to the 21st floor.

When I reached it, I took in the view. More water... oh whatever will they come up with next...

* * *

I decided to use this opportunity to go undercover. I decided to follow the leads given to me by Violet. But first I decided to go seek out Argo.

Using my friend's list, I traced her sitting in the middle of town. The sun was setting. Perfect. But then I remembered something. I inspected my clothes. No, if I intended to pretend being dead, I would have to change my attire. At least enough to fool the general public long enough. Moving in secrecy would aid in speeding up my progress. Before I could search for Argo, I had to look for someone else.

When I ordered my custom-made New Gen Midnights, she insisted on adding each other to our friend's list. Not that I had much choice... but now, ironically, I would be thankful for having her as a contact. After I traced her position to a local tailor store, I set off. Hopefully this encounter would be less... problematic.

I tried as much as possible to stay in the dark. Fortunately, I still had my «Cloak of Midnight» to use, so I reached the tailor shop soon enough. I slipped in quietly. Luckily, there was only the NPC storekeeper, me, and her. I dispensed with the cloak. I walked silently closer to tap her on the shoulder but I didn't get a chance.

Once again, I felt a soft feeling in my face as I was dragged into a intimately tight hug which I returned... somewhat shyly.

"Kirito-chan! I was wondering when you would show up again... I missed you a lot... it's quite lonely..." Ashley greeted me pouting. I sweatdropped and smiled bashfully.

"You knew I was coming?" I asked a bit incredulously. She gave me a patronizing stare.

"If you're going to go under the radar, perhaps you should take care to be mindful of your friend's list," she said and I felt quite dumb. Of course... it works the other way around. I made a note to turn on the 'inactive' setting later so nobody could see me on their friend's list or track me. Well, besides Ashley and Argo.

"Oh right... I was getting to that," I remarked defensively and she giggled patting my head. How degrading... I'm wasn't comforted at all.

"Young people are so misguided... so what did you come here for?" She asked expectantly. Straight to the point this time. Thank God.

"I... have business to attend to, but I can't move freely. Even with my cloak, it'll take too long to move in the open, so I need your help. I don't feel like wasting Teleport Crystals either, so yeah..." I said shamefully. It was rare that I admitted and asked for help, but I couldn't avoid it this time.

"I see... so what color?" Ashley asked grasping the situation quickly. I thought about it for a moment.

"White," I said resolutely. It was the total opposite of my customary color scheme, so it should throw off notice.

"Any secondaries? You know, trim?" she suggested politely.

"Red," I replied laconically. She nodded and proceeded to take off my coat. I felt a little awkward when she came closer in proximity.

"Uhh... Ashley-san? You're a bit close..." I uttered embarrassed. She took an excessively painstaking amount of time to take off the damn coat. In response she tugged at my coat roughly.

"I don't know what you're talking about... I think your coat likes to stay on you... I'll have to change that, so bear with me... Kirito-chan..." she whispered winking saucily at me. "Hmm, you seem to be getting big for this coat. You're growing **a lot, **Kirito-chan..." she added playfully suggestive.

"I wouldn't know about that..." I mused quietly while I reddened and turned away. After what seemed like an hour, she took off the coat and dyed it white with red stripes. Just like Ezio. Except...

"Why is there pink here?" I questioned mystified. The edges of the coat were trimmed in pink and the star was embroidered in a flowery design of pink roses. Not too exaggerated, but still noticeable.

"It's my own little touch to it. You can have your old black theme back later," she reasoned and I complied reluctantly.

"Besides, no one would ever guess you of all people, decided to wear anything but black," she added persuasively and I couldn't deny that.

"Well, then... thanks I guess..." I offered hesitantly. She smiled sweetly at me.

"I'd do anything for Kirito-chan..." Ashley said leaving that on a mighty ambiguous note. Just then, a message appeared on my HUD. It was from Argo. Figures.

From: Argo  
**How long are you going to milk this? I expected you to call in earlier...**

She was quite patient... I decided to message her back.

To: Argo  
**Well, _sorry_ for taking too long... unlike you, my profession requires _real _work. In any case, message me when the boss fight takes place. I'm on important business and I'll be out of reach for a while. DO NOT tell anyone I'm still alive. I plan to do that myself when the time is right. I'll pay extra when I see you. **

She instantly messaged me back. Her texting skills were world-class from what I had seen. Back then before the release of SAO, we talked whenever the situation happened to arise. On the occasion I decided to actually check my Facebook, she would never shut up messaging me...

From: Argo  
**Apology accepted, but I'll have you know, my profession requires _real _thinking. Anyone can just swing a sword... anyways the boss fight is in 3 days according to leaked info. You better make it back soon if you intend on coming. Remember to pay up nicely~ ^_^**

I responded with alacrity... not.

To: Argo  
**I will... and shut up, you don't know anything about my profession.  
Alpha out~**

And with that I refused to respond to anymore messages. Not that I needed to check, because Argo knew by that tone I was heavily pissed off.

"Had a nice chat?" Ashley asked innocently. I sighed tiredly.

"Of course, I did. What made you think otherwise?" I responded sardonically. She giggled slightly.

"Oh you know... the rapid typing and aggressive expression... did you write in all caps?" She jested and I scoffed mirthful.

"Thanks, Ashley. I feel better," I confessed to her truthfully. I guess laughter is the best medicine.

"No problem. I said I'd do **anything** for Kirito-chan..." she said flirtatiously and I coughed lightly.

"Right... that's flattering but I think I'll-"

"Take a rain check?" She hinted at openly while smirking. Oh not funny...

"For your information, it has not rained since 'that' day..." I answered back defiantly but chagrined. She patted my head affectionately.

"It's fun playing around with you, Kirito-chan... but you should get on your way. You can repay me another time..." she added and I was reminded of my previous debt.

_Oh right... I still owe her..._ I thought nervously. _Well, I'll cross that bridge when it comes..._

"I'll see you around, Ashley," I said indifferently. She walked over and planted a kiss on my cheek. The same cheek from last time...

"Just something for good luck," she explained and I rolled my eyes with a flushed face.

"Yeah okay... 'good luck', more like a curse... temptress..." I muttered with air quotes on 'good luck'. She smiled seductively at me.

"Au contraire... I'm just trying to get on your good side... Asuna's going to have some competition..." Ashley said and I sighed worried about the future.

"You know, I've attracted many guys, but you're the first one who's attracted me... you'll find it hard to resist... Kirito-chan..." she said alluringly.

"You wanna bet?" I asked begging to differ. She traced my chin with her delicate fingers.

"Oh, playing hard to get, I see... I like a challenge. You're on..." She said purring at me contently. I steeled my resolve while pulling at my collar uncomfortably.

"I swear to God if Argo set you up to this..." I muttered.

"Oh she's got nothing to do with it. I really do want you, Kirito-chan... I want you as my first..." she admitted and I blushed like crazy. 'Unfortunate' was an understatement. I was never trained for this.

"I'm afraid I'll have to pass up on this offer... perhaps another time..." I said declining politely. She pouted at me cutely.

"How modest... very well then. Good luck, Kirito-chan..." Ashley said tenderly as she 'hugged' me one last time.

"Uh, you can let go now..." I said muffled by treacherous mountains. It took a while to catch my breath.

"Sowwy, couldn't wesist," Ashley said in a baby voice.

"I couldn't breathe back there... be careful next time..." I complained halfheartedly. She turned her head innocently.

"Do you need CPR?" She suggested and trepidation hit me like lightning at that idea. If Asuna ever found out...

"No thanks. That's a time bomb I won't set off..." I said dismissively in a brave attempt to disregard my fear.

"It's your loss..." Ashley said a little disappointed.

"I'd rather be safe and alive," I justified.

"Right. By repeatedly risking your life on the battlefield. Alone. Without help. With no one to suppress your ego," she stated dryly without pause. That kinda hurt...

"Well, when you put it 'that' way, it sounds stupid..." I said wounded.

"Then perhaps you need to rethink your lifestyle," she suggested logically.

"We'll see about that..." I said in an intransigent manner. She sighed patting my head sympathetically.

"What will it take..." she directed to no one in particular.

After waving each other goodbye, I headed to the «Teleport Gate» to head back to the 10th floor. That was where I faced the «Basilisk»... hopefully there weren't more of those things...

* * *

It took 2 hours to work out where this 'extra' place was. I had forgotten how spacious the 10th floor was. I found it after consulting NPCs and searching uncharted territory. I had spotted it on top of a mountain ridge near the edge. «Thousand Snake Castle». That's sounds promising...

There was no way I could scale it unless I had the proper hiking gear. There was a alcove-shaped cave near the bottom. I supposed I would have to start there. I climbed up and made my way into the cave.

"It's dark as hell..." I whispered and activated my night vision. Which barely helped. Maybe it was a special zone.

I crept in deeper into the unknown territory using the wall as a guide. Once in a while I thought I heard a hiss. Not good. I had to keep moving.

_Violet, this better be worth it..._ I thought skeptically.

Suddenly, I nearly slipped downwards. Reflexively, I backed up and tried to regain my footing. Fortunately, I was able to discern a burnt out torch on the wall, so I snatched it and lit with my flint. A little bit of light goes a long way. I took in the view. I saw spiraling steps gyrating to the upper floor. Simple enough. Then I caught sight of the way to get there.

"Oh fuck you..." I called out to the game designers.

I stepped down to approach the edge at point A. From there I had to maneuver my way through numerous obstacles with various requirements such as platforming, monkey bars, swinging, crawling and my favorite, swimming... through clearly purified water. Well, 'Nothing ventured, nothing gained'...

I made my way through slowly in order to be careful. I did NOT want to screw up once recklessly and have to do it over again. All the way through I complained openly.

"Who the fuck designed this place?" I criticized disparagingly out loud. "Who expects you to parkour your way through?"

There was no response except the fact that when I jumped for the next ledge the edge was slippery and I almost fell.

"Of course. Everything's trying to kill me..." I muttered disdainfully. "This is so stupid..."

Eventually I made it to the steps. Then there was another problem.

There was **huge **gap between me and the next flight of stairs. Luck must be on my side...

"Who do you think I am? Jesse Owens?" I complained aggravated to the breaking point. Nevertheless, I backed up enough to make a run and jump for the ledge at least.

I nearly made it but came up short. Before I fell however, I drove my newly acquired «Shard of Midnight» using the **Dark Strike** to embed the blade deep into the stone. I strained my already exhausted muscles to pull myself up over the edge. I took a heavy breather.

"Well... at least I burned some calories..." I remarked. Funny thing to say when this was all just in my head. Then again, I'm pretty sure when I came back to the real world, my body would not be the same... maybe I could train myself like the Matrix. Wasn't Nerve Gear basically an Animus? Without the genetic memories of course...

I made my way up and emerged from a trapdoor. I took in the sights and started walking through the atrium to the huge doorway down the end of the hall. The floors were tiled white and green. I saw banners of silver and gold snakes embroidered on them and serpentine designs around me.

_This place is very..._ I whisked around in my mind for the right word to describe it.

_Slytherin..._

I finally reached the gargantuan doors and pushed them open. At the end of the room, there was a green treasure chest with a golden lock.

_Of course it's not that easy..._ I scoffed mentally wishing for a break. _So where's the goddamn key?..._

I wish I didn't jinx it.

Hearing the sound of foreboding hisses I turned around sighing distastefully.

An army of snakes surrounded me, encircling the entrance and the sides. No escape route now... there were too many snakes to count.

_A thousand I'll bet... exactly what it says on the tin..._ I thought contemptuously. This could be... problematic.

I located a peculiar snake in wide mass. There was a key attached to its neck by a small chain. One key. In the middle of an army of serpents. Between me and near-certain death. Oh happy days...

_Fate is a cruel mistress..._ I thought pessimistically. I would have to hope I had enough gear to take them all on. In this situation, my darts would be pointless. I would have to rely on my other equipment.

From the 18th floor I obtained another ring called: «Rage Breaker». From the 19th I obtained yet another named: «Gravity Binder».

«Rage Breaker»  
**A ring made from the core of the earth (iron and nickel) allowing the user to fracture the ground. Cooldown requires 8 minutes. The Area of Effect is 15 feet. This item cannot be upgraded.**

«Gravity Binder»

**A ring made of cursed skeletons, allowing the user to summon spectral arms of the undead to drag your opponent into the ground. The Area of Effect is 15 feet. This effect lasts for 15 seconds. Cooldown requires 6 minutes. This item cannot be upgraded.**

These two rings went hand in hand like bread and butter. I would've used the «Deceiver» but I hadn't upgraded it.

I froze a few dozen using my «Frostbiter» and «Icebreaker» combo, but there were hundreds more advancing on me. I suspected their fangs had an infinite supply of poison and paralysis.

I used my new rings to kill off a few more dozens but they kept on coming. I finally decided to forget fighting them all off and just get to the objective. I threw a fully fused **Black Fire Dart **at the snake with the key. I used the cloak to get as close as possible and managed to snatch it.

Unfortunately, snakes have sharp senses. Besides sight, every other sense was phenomenal. Especially their sixth sense, heat reception.

Before I could scramble away unscathed, a snake managed to bite me on the leg. Another followed its lead and took another. I felt the cloak slip off and the eyes of hundreds of snakes met mine. Panicking was an understatement to describe how I felt. The only comfort was that it was poison, not paralysis, so I wouldn't be doomed to die. But I could hardly call that a comfort. The toxic substance coursing through my veins hurt like hell with a burning sensation. In real life, that should've been it.

In desperate denial, I managed to shake off my attackers and limped over to the chest. I unlocked it and swiped whatever was in there quickly and sent it to my inventory for later. Now I had to get out... I tried using a Teleport Crystal. And out of all the times it couldn't work, it would be now. Anti-crystal area? More like a middle finger to the face... what great level designing.

I hated to admit it, but this might've been the end. I honestly had no idea where to go from here, literally and figuratively. My best chance seemed to be making a stand but by now that seemed a little less redeeming.

Suddenly a hooded figure with flaming sword came through slicing up every snake in their way. It couldn't be-

"Violet?!" I exclaimed surprised. She stood side by side with me along with her purple-flaming blade.

"Glad to see me?" She said casually as though we weren't about to die.

"Well, you're a sight for sore eyes," I admitted slightly appreciative. It was the first time I was the damsel in distress. This was kind of an awkward reversal of roles...

"Is that a compliment? Now I know things are fucked up," she put delicately.

"Oh you couldn't tell? I remarked sarcastically.

"Well, it's rare to see a princess trapped in a castle like you are..." she shot back effectively shutting me up. She's good, I'll admit that...

"I've got a lot of questions that I'll save for later. Right now, though, is there any way out?" I asked urgently.

"You mean, besides the front entrance? Yes, there's a secret compartment behind the throne. But it would require expert lock-picking or figuring out the-"

"AIN'T NOBODY GOT TIME FOR THAT!" I shouted extremely exasperated.

"Well, why don't you come up with something?" Violet retorted smartly. Now she had me on the spot. Fuck...

_I need a plan... but there's nothing to use here..._ I mused frantically as we backed away from the oncoming threat.

"Well?" Violet asked abruptly.

"I'm thinking..." I said annoyed.

"Perhaps you should try harder... maybe you should think outside the box," she commented back sassily and I rolled my eyes. But then I got an idea. An insane idea, but still an idea.

Outside the box. I glanced at the window behind us.

_Fuck it, I'd rather die with my dignity taking a risk than accepting defeat here, _I thought desperately resolved. I turned around and backed up a bit to get some running space. Violet gave me a weird look.

"What're you doing?" She asked at my peculiar behavior. I grabbed her sword which was still flaming but started to flicker. For some reason it felt painful to use this weapon. Nevertheless, I grudgingly braced myself.

"Just trust me and hang on," I said deliberately disregarding her look of doubt. Then she realized my plan. The revelation on her expression showed utter dismay.

"No, don't do that, we have no idea what's on the other-"

I ran towards and smashed the window with the flaming blade and wrapped an arm around Violet as we fell.

"SIIIIIIDDDEEE!" she screamed and hung onto to me for dear life. I admit, it felt rather nice. Then I remembered Asuna and made a mental note not to mention this to her the next time.

We hit the water with a resounding splash, but for once I was glad beyond measures to feel the cold contact of water against my skin.

_I'll never complain about water levels again..._ I promised earnestly. _For the next 10 minutes..._ I took back because this water was cold and it would take a while to dry off.

"We do now," I addressed Violet and she gave me the most dirtiest look a girl could give you.

"Shut up and swim us to shore. You didn't even ask for permission to borrow my stuff..." she complained trivially and I acquiesced to do the work.

Another thing I promised not to tell Asuna, was that it felt nice for Violet to put her arms around me, pressing tightly to my back. She slapped my head lightly to get me back on track.

"You're enjoying this too much..." she pouted but continued to hold onto me. We made it to shore within 15 minutes.

We decided to rest up on the beach and start a fire to dry ourselves. I took a potion to remedy the poison. After a while, we recuperated from our ordeal and made to leave. All the while Violet kept silent while inspecting her weapon carefully. How meticulous.

"I uh... well, I guess I should thank you," I said awkwardly and she looked over without changing expression. I continued on.

"If it weren't for your intervention, I wouldn't made it," I admitted against my pride. I supposed I should give credit where credit is due. She nodded slightly in acceptance.

"It's nice to see you growing up," she stated smirkingly in thanks. Things fell silent again on our way to the «Teleport Gate». I tried to pick up the conversation.

"So uh, where'd you get that weapon?" I asked shyly trying to revive the exchange. "It's pretty sweet, besides the fact that it burned me..." I trailed off.

"I made it. It's mine and I've been using it since the start. It's called «Black Luster» and it's a cursed weapon. Demonstone tends to do that. It's fused with Darksteel as well, giving it the metallic look. Demonstone gives it the dark purple and black colored coating, and the special ability. I can ignite the blade, encasing it in cursed flames, which is why it hurt when you used it," she elucidated. "At a maximum of 9 minutes, I can use this ability called, **Dark Infernal Embers, **otherwise known as **DIE.** The cooldown is removed but every minute I use this ability, I lose 10% of my health per minute as a tribute, and I can't heal either for 45 minutes. It's a balance for such a powerful weapon. I could break most weapons or spam flame waves again my opponents. But you have to get used to being hurt while using it. Otherwise... it's risky. Plus, this is a pretty heavy weapon. A greatsword in fact. Most people use two hands, but I'm surprised you used only one. You must be as strong as I am to wield its weight..." she complimented me.

"Thanks. It just comes from practice," I said and she nodded her approval.

"As expected," she replied shortly while shouldering the blade. The silver edges glistened in the light. But the dark metal reflected a stark contrasting sheen to it. «Black Luster» was a fitting name.

"Weren't you busy?" I questioned suddenly. She hesitated in responding.

"I was in the neighborhood. I happened to pass by and notice you going into a cave. I thought it'd be fun to follow," Violet said dismissively. I stared at her unconvinced.

"Right... 'happened to pass by'. My bullshit meter disagrees with you," I declared roughly. She sighed rolling her eyes.

"Fine. I lied, but don't complain. You almost had your ass handed to you... by the way, you dropped this," she responded rudely while tossing me the «Cloak of Midnight». I caught it nonplussed.

"That's true I suppose... thanks," I muttered awkwardly.

"Don't expect me to show up next time. You might not be as lucky..." she warned and I would've been wise to heed her word. Then I realized something ironic.

"_**You're **_the one who told me about 'Nothing ventured, nothing gained'," I argued aggressively. She sighed tiredly.

"I didn't say you _**had **_to go..." Violet countered and I fell into a sulky silence. Damn, she was right...

"..."

"I thought so," she added noting my silence as a sign of submission.

"Whatever..." I responded resentfully. I hated losing.

"Still, you did get us out alive... albeit through unorthodox methods..." she said and I could tell she was refraining from making another snide comment or passing a patronizing look. "I suppose you deserve some kind of reward."

"What do you mean, 'reward'-" I was interrupted when she suddenly dropped her sword and tackled me with a hug.

_Violet?..._ I wondered confusedly. No she couldn't... did she? She pulled away before I could react to the sudden embrace.

"That was the stupidest plan I've ever seen... but it worked... I guess that's why I like you..." she confessed and I felt a small blush coming up.

"You mean as friends, right?..." I asked sheepishly. She chuckled lightly.

"Yeah, as friends. Obviously, you dummy," she said tapping me on the head playfully. It reminded me of Asuna and her customary punches on my shoulder whenever things got out of hand. I felt sad but nostalgic at the same time.

"I see..." That was the only thing I could say as we arrived at our destination.

"Guess we'll split up here. If you're going to tackle the next 'extra' area, I suggest you think up of a backup beforehand..." Violet said trying to keep the loftiness out of her voice.

"I'll remember that," I replied.

"I hope so," she said a little mockingly.

"Ladies first," I offered ignoring her tone.

"How chivalrous of you. You might get my contact info after all..." she teased and I scoffed humorously. She whispered her destination and waved me goodbye. I just simply nodded. I decided to examine the prize I had got.

«Locket of the Reptiles»  
**This intricate looking locket is bestowed with mystical powers granting the user the ability to converse with reptiles e.g. snakes.**

"..." Was my instant reaction. I came all that way, into a dark-ass cave, parkoured through a bitch of an obstacle course, almost got devoured by snakes, and took a swim in cold water.

"Yeah, this thing's definitely getting sold off," I decided without missing a beat. I would auction this item at a compensating price. Parseltongue was cool and everything, but no, not for me. I decided to go to the 20th floor and get this over with.

* * *

I could go into detail about my second misadventure, but it's too long a story and not very fun on my part. Suffice it to say, I entered a large cage-like dome and got chased by about 20 tigers. Miraculously, all limbs are accounted for.

The end result was satisfactory at least. I managed to obtain a much more promising Rare Drop called «Amazonian Ballistic». Essentially it was a knife gun. That's badass, admit it.

But I had been away for too long. If I was going to make it to the floor clearing, I had to haul ass.

My 3rd Gen Midnight was still dyed. I attracted a few glances, but nothing else at least. I was forced to use my «Shard of Midnight» because by now too many people recognized my Knightsword. I had to keep up this act for a while.

The 21st floor boss was an unagi, or in English, a freshwater eel. Its name was «Kaiser» which was appropriate. There was a sort of fin crown on its head. Besides the terrifying jaws this beast of a sea serpent had an electrical attribute.

A few players died 'shockingly'. Yeah, that's a bad pun... but someone was going to make it anyway.

In the end we did kill it. After the DDA leader burn it with his «Dragore Blade» flamethrower-style, I shot it with my «Amazonian Ballistic». I didn't leave unscathed however... let's just say he fried my ass with about 600 volts when I made the mistake of touching a puddle outside the kill zone. Like I said earlier: everything's trying to kill me.

The 22nd floor was surprisingly peaceful looking. There were beautiful lakes surrounded by lush green fields of grass and majestic mountainous borders. There was rich forest and docks for fishing. It was nice, serene floor. The rural village was called «Coral». A nice change of pace from all the bullshit I just went through.

I didn't have time to really enjoy myself however, as soon enough the boss battle came 4 days later. We faced an enemy named «Vampiric Wolf Lord». A hybrid between a vampire and a werewolf.

"Please tell me you don't sparkle in the sun, at least..." I muttered disdainfully. This thing was pretty quick and dodged almost all our moves combined. I couldn't even use my darts. Not that I could, without giving away my identity.

When it came to speed however, Asuna was able to match it.

Timing her moves, and calculating the best chance to strike, she managed to stab it after figuring out its attack pattern. It performed a few dodges, before attacking, most dodges just to mock us while it bit off a few players regrettably. I honestly wondered how the hell a vampire werewolf factored into this place... there seemed to be no logic for this boss matching up with the floor. I don't what I should've expected... an evil flower perhaps? It could happen... a man-eating flower, think about it. Venus flytrap gone crazy.

Somehow, the boss was heavily weakened by Asuna's attack. I was confused at first, then I realized she had a new rapier.

_Where the hell did **that **come from? _I thought caught off guard. The only thing I could deduct was that it must be made of silver.

Asuna dealt the fatal blow and was rewarded with the LA bonus.

_She deserves it..._ I admitted mentally. _And she deserves an apology... that expression looks horrible..._ I mused worriedly catching note of her stoic look. That's right. Everyone still thought I was dead. Almost everyone.

The 23rd floor seemed to be modeled after Wales. The main town was called «Cadair Idris». Fitting, for it was very mountainous. If I wasn't mistaken, I swore I heard a dragon in the distance. Great. More promising news.

We fought the boss 3 days later. «Ddraig» was its name. It had red scales, a barbed tongue and tail, bat wings, a spiked nose and eagle feet. For the second time in a row, Asuna killed the boss with a little help from her «Adamant Shield».

_So she's our dragon slayer now? _I thought amused. Whatever.

During my time in town, I managed to sell off the locket by auctioning in bar. After a few drinks getting passed around, I managed to raise the price up just a 'little'. Half a million gained never felt sweeter.

The 24th floor was quite unique. I could see the moon everyday in the sky alongside the sun. It shone even brighter at night when the sun set. The town was called «Panareze».

2 days went by and I trained in the fields. There was a stone barrier separating the other side. Adhering to my human curiosity, I climbed up to see the other side. Unlike the field I was currently on, this side seemed darker. The woods looked foreboding and there appeared to be no sign of life. I decided to investigate. I had until tomorrow to attend the meeting and boss fight anyway.

There was old abandoned church in the middle of a forest.

_Oh that's not suspicious..._ I thought sarcastically to myself but decided to check it out anyway. I'm Alpha, so I'm pretty sure I could handle whatever was inside there.

I saw nothing but a ruined altar and worn wooden benches. The windows were in disrepair and I saw doors ripped from their hinges.

_Did a zombie apocalypse happen here? _I mused dryly. _It looks like it..._

Before I left, I felt a sudden change in atmosphere.

_Something's wrong..._ My «Hypersense» went crazy and it was hard to focus. I materialized my «Queen's Knightsword» out. It felt good to hold it after such a long while.

I heard a sudden drop in the air and rolled away instinctively. My reflexes were still decent. I spun around and immediately crossed swords with a unknown black-hooded figure wearing a skull mask. I narrowed my eyes and tried to push him off balance. Then I tried to sweep his feet but he countered with his leg. Smart. I finally found another challenge.

"Very good, Black Swordsman. We knew you weren't dead yet. And I expected you to anticipate me and followup with a counter, otherwise you would prove disappointing to our standards and useless to us..." whispered the new figure. I glared at him.

"Who the fuck are you?" I answered back inimically. Was this one of the murderers? He seemed to fit the description.

"Call me White Death. I was sent to assess your strength, and you've lived up to your name..." he replied with a smirk. I deduced his accent to be British.

"What are you, the sniper?" I asked alluding to the famous sharpshooter.

"Not exactly... take a closer look..." he taunted and I did. This blade... wait a minute.

"Is that the «King's Knightsword»?" I demanded dauntlessly of him. He continued smirking.

"Very perceptive. You know your swords," he said appeasingly. I shook off the blade lock and flourished a short, quickly executed combo. He managed to parry all 3 strikes. Not bad.

"What do you want?" I asked viciously. He drew back a small distance and we started circling each other.

"To convince you to join us," he said simply while lowering his sword slightly.

"Join you? I don't even know who the hell you are. But I have an idea," I declared darkly. He resumed smirking.

"Don't judge like that. You and my colleagues are quite similar. It's a shame seeing your talents wasted on such a lost cause..." he said offhandedly and I narrowed my eyes.

"Me and you similar? Cut the bullshit, I'm not like you, murderer. You killed someone because they didn't give you what you wanted. Are you going to do that to me too? Cause my answer is no, and it's not going to change," I spat venomously. He chuckled darkly.

"I see you need a bit of convincing. Very well then. Tell me. Why do you fight to save other people? What exactly have they done in return? Are you expecting some sort of, gratification? Some respect, perhaps? Are you so misguided as to think your actions will reward you in the future? No, let me tell you the **truth.** You will not be rewarded, you will be **repaid.** Those are the lies you tell yourself to justify your kind 'deeds'. To make you seem like a great person, when all you've done is built up the amount of favors people **owe **you. There is no hero, no villain. There is only you, and people who differ. Ignoring morals, isn't it in the nature of human beings to want to benefit themselves? Is it not the truth that you desire to gain something so selfishly, you don't even realize it? I know what kind of person you **are, _Alpha._ **Your little stunt back on the 1st floor was noble in the eyes of a few, and condemnation by most. I'm here to help you realize the truth. I volunteered to meet you instead of my other peers. You may not have had such a conversation with Red X or Black. I offer you a fair choice. To join us and truly live life as it is. In the **true nature of a human being.** It is inevitable, Alpha. Surely, you understand this."

After that speech, I digested his words. I didn't say it out loud, but he was correct in a few ways. Why did I do all this? Because it was right, according to my morals. But ignoring all that, it hadn't really paid off. Still, I expected that. That was the point of a sacrifice. But what he said just now... made me question my faith just a little. It was disconcerting to hear revelations from a murderer. Still, I refused to give in.

"I understand plenty. But I have to disagree. You bring up a lot of good points, I'll admit, but that's just indulging in your own desires. I have **guilt **beside me. While it's been a pain, it kept me from losing my head and remembering my true goal. I've seen what insanity means and what it can do to people. Clearly, I'm looking at it right now," I stated harshly and he growled back.

"We may be somewhat alike, but it's not about similarities, it's about differences. I will **never **turn into one of you, willing to give up morals for primal desires. It's in the human nature to choose, so I choose to be different. It's not a perfect path, but it's my own. I won't follow, I will **lead**, that's why they call me Alpha, don't forget it."

We stopped circling each other. After an intense stare down, he finally spoke.

"You will regret this, Alpha. One day, you'll eat your words. When you meet your darkest hour, you will do whatever it takes to get what you want, I guarantee it. You know why? Because there's one more thing that links me and you. There were few who were brave enough to publicly display their righteous intentions to help others. After seeing my friends get set up to die, left behind and forgotten, how could I continue deluding myself? I realized my true capabilities and decided to use it for a more practical cause. As a beta tester, I should be benefiting myself. Humans only care about what they can get from others. That is the world we know, and it will never change. Remember this name, Alpha: **LAUGHING COFFIN!" **I rushed forward to stab him but then-

Suddenly a white flash appeared and the next instant he was gone. A split-second after getting temporarily blinded I caught sight of blue crystal. He teleported out. Figures.

I left the church with a conflicted state of mind. Soon enough everyone would know I was still alive. I decided to milk the disguise until the 26th floor.

The 24th floor was defeated by Klein. Yeah, I'm surprised too, but every dog has its day.

The boss was called the «Crescent Knight». He was particularly difficult to defeat. It was for the record, one of the longest boss fights ever so far.

He had extravagant silver armor but apparently it was quite light according to his quick movements. He dual-wielded matching sickles and ripped through our forces. At least a dozen people died before he was subdued.

Heathcliff tanked most of his attacks allowing the rest of us to move in and attack him. I never imagined Klein would be the one to get the last attack, but it happened. I wondered what he got...

_Maybe it's a book on how to pick up women..._ I mused wryly.

Finally, we came to the 25th floor.

I would like to say it was a cakewalk. It was fucking nightmare.

The topography was a maze. The uneven rocky regions disoriented our sense of direction and there were... surprises.

All the monsters on this floor had their levels jacked up unusually high. Under my circumstances, this was a perfect hunting ground. Under normal circumstances, it was a survival test.

I did what I could to protect the others by killing as many as possible, but it wasn't enough. People died naturally, and I felt the weight of the world pressing down on my spirits. God fucking damn it...

There were also unfortunate accidents reported during our time here. Pitfalls, poisonous swamps, and rock slides. This just added to the death toll even more. I couldn't stand it. I had to find this boss and clear it out soon.

A meeting was held immediately on the 2nd day here. Many scouts from the frontlines fell victim to the unyielding brutality of this unjust floor. Violet warned me prior to this, but I never thought it would be this bad.

Heated discussions were held for about an hour. I nearly fell asleep. In the end, there was a huge disagreement between the KoB and DDA. The KoB wanted to secure a safe foothold in the town first but the DDA insisted on rallying more troops to the frontlines. The argument split off but on a good note.

Information on the boss was scarce and even Argo wasn't much help. I wish I knew where Violet was...

On the 5th day, we heard bad news.

Kibaou had somehow managed to find the boss room and had rushed in with about 40 players from the Army. I thought he had a death wish, but I could see the hope in other people's eyes. They were desperate for someone to get them out of this hellhole. For once, I allowed his stupidity to pass. Even if I hated him.

Then came the really bad news.

Those who had rushed in were losing the battle. Half had already been killed. A deserter came back with news of the ongoing battle. I would criticize him for being a coward, but I suppose I would also like to keep my life if I were him. I had no choice. To restore hope, I had to make a return.

I found Ashley at another tailor store and asked her to remove the dye from my clothes. After telling her what I was going to do, she hugged me and wished me good luck. I gave her a brief smile. Then I ran as quick as possible to the sounds of distress.

I was not the only one who had rushed to the battlefield. KoB and DDA were already there reinforcing the overwhelmed Army members. But it was not going well.

A two-headed giant was the boss. It was named the «Punisher». How unpleasantly appropriate.

I won't joke around. This thing was a bitch to fight. No matter what moves we pulled off, it barely whittled down its health. I decided to go for the eyes. With four well-placed shots, I blinded the giant. For some reason, nothing happened except for the giant roaring in pain. None of my darts were working. Somehow this boss nullified the effects. Only raw damage got through, and even then, it seemed to make things worse. The giant entered rage mode and stomped around blindly while swinging its arms randomly.

A few players got demolished by its heavy fists and others couldn't avoid the stampede. I started losing hope.

Nothing could penetrate it from the outside. I remembered that Violet told me to think outside the box. That gave me an idea. Well, it was more like 'inside' the box, but whatever.

I gritted my teeth for what I was about to do. It was going to be utterly revolting and damaging to my pride, but to save everyone I had no choice. I ran up from behind and climbed up to its head. From there, everyone had a clear look at me and all revealed shocked expressions at my sudden appearance. I ignored them stabbed the giant's eardrums in with my «Shard of Midnight» to get its attention. It opened its mouth for a monstrous yell. I took my chance.

I swung into its mouth, jumped in and allowed myself to be swallowed.

* * *

It was disgusting to say the least. But true to my intentions, I worked my way down its digestive tract and butchered up its insides. I couldn't tell how much damage this did, but it must've been a lot, because the giant was rumbling in pain. Soon enough, I dealt the fatal blow and it burst into thousands of shards. I collapsed out of exhaustion from the labor and the heat inside the giant. All I remember was subconsciously cloaking myself, and barely limping towards the entrance to the next floor. I don't even remember walking up those steps...

The 26th floor was thankfully full of fresh air. I saw birds flying in the distance. The sun was setting. I moved unsteadily to the next town. «Raptoria» was the name. I recalled the cool touch of the «Teleport Gate». The smooth obelisk feel of even stone. My vision was hazy and I didn't feel so good. The nausea was setting in. I wandered out near the edge of town. Then I saw something really wacky.

A figure was staring at me. I fell to the ground unable to keep my stance. There was something wrong... horribly wrong.

_I feel so fucked up..._ I thought, breathing heavily. I took a closer look at the figure.

_It can't be... can it?..._ I wondered strangely. It looked oddly familiar. But it was impossible.

**_"Coper?"_**I asked out loud. He stared at me with blank eyes.

_No way... impossible. I... you're dead... _I thought but what I was seeing was contradictory. Did he really survive? Or did he come back as a ghost to take revenge from the grave? Was that even possible? I only remembered blacking out and seeing a flicker near the end.

* * *

I waited for him. All night long. It must've been several hours since he collapsed. Ashley brought me over. When I saw him for real, I couldn't believe my eyes.

Kirito-kun.

Alive. Unconscious, but very much alive. I broke down into tears. I was so happy, but at the same time, so betrayed...

Why? What happened that he had to keep his presence hidden from me?

I wanted answers, but I could only wait. But when he woke up, I couldn't hold back anymore. I demanded the truth, **now.**

It was 4 in the morning. I almost drifted off. We were in a local inn on the second floor. Ashley was there as well. She was in the other room sleeping. She was previously stroking Kirito's head and then she grew too tired to stay conscious. I promised to take watch for her and she agreed. She had found him passed out near the edge of town. It was lucky that she found him when she did.

I stayed beside him on the right side of the bed. I kneeled down, holding his hand tightly. I intended to never let go. Not until I got answers. He woke up and gradually opened his eyes.

"Asuna..." he whispered warmly. I caught a faint smile on his face with traces of happiness, sadness, and guilt.

"Kirito-kun..." I said quietly trying not to wake Ashley-san. I was so happy... "I missed you... so much like you would not believe..."

"I could tell. It must've been hard for you..." he said admittedly and then I snapped. I let go of his hand and released my built up feelings.

"YOU'RE A FUCKING **IDIOT!** WHAT'S **WRONG** WITH YOU?! DON'T YOU HAVE THE **SLIGHTEST** CLUE HOW I **FELT?! **I WAS MISERABLE THINKING YOU DIED, THEN I FIND OUT YOU RAN **AWAY** AND HID FROM ME! DO UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT'S LIKE?!"

It wasn't loud enough to arouse Ashley from sleep, but it was the highest pitch you could reach without being considered loud. He expression seemed to die as he accepted my anger.

"No... I don't. You have every right to blame me, I am at fault. But when you're done, let me talk. Then you can do whatever you want..." he said quietly receiving the harsh words. I continued aggressively on. Albeit a little more controlled in volume.

"You're unbelievable. No, that's not it. You're **horrible.** I can't believe you wouldn't confide in me. After all this time, it seems as though you deceived me, and did whatever you wanted in the end. You don't get it do you? When someone cares for you so much, and you can't even appreciate that... I would've followed you, even if the whole world was against you. Now I don't even know where you're going. I'm afraid, Kirito..." I said looking into his eyes. "That I can't save you... I can't help you, because you won't let me. I've done everything I can to try and help you, but you pushed me away... Kirito... what do you want? Is this just out of my reach? Are you too far away from me now? Did I never understand the real you?..." I trailed off despairingly. He had a complicated expression.

"It's not that... it's..." he struggled to find the right words.

"Is it my fault?..." I asked hurtfully. He looked up with a wounded expression.

"Is it because I tried to change you?... If it is... I didn't want this for you. I wanted you to be happy. I wanted to give you hope, like you did for me. You helped a stranger, and now it seems like **you're** the stranger... if you want... I'll leave. You were always better alone... weren't you?" I said referencing what he told me before. He suddenly seized hold of the conversation.

"Asuna. Stop it. Just stop it. It hurts just **thinking** about you. But that's all I did at night. Whenever my mind wandered off, it was probably about **you.** I have plenty of things to worry about, but I worry about you the **most.** You know why? I forgot what it meant to **care about someone else,** I relearned that sentiment from you. You taught me **how to feel,** it's no wonder I'd do **anything** for you. I'll tell you why I chose to leave. To keep you **safe.** Don't you see? There's too much danger involving me. I could've **died** so many times and dragged **you** down with me. I can't **stand** the fact that every time I see someone die, I worry it could've been **you.** If it was you, I would've lost myself long ago. The fact that you're still **here** means I haven't failed at everything... I know I'm selfish... I've been told that many times... but it wasn't for nothing. Whatever I can still do, I will try. No matter what happens, I always **have** and always **will** care. There's too much for me to lose if I don't. Asuna... you **ARE** everything to me. You're worth **more** than life itself, and I am willing to **die** for you. Even if you hate me... you have to stay alive for me. Even as the Alpha, if I can't finish the game, you have to do in my stead. That's why I distanced away from you back on the 8th floor. To make you stronger. That's why I'd rather you'd be in a guild than me. You could lead those people, not me. I may be the best, but I've realized, it's **not** enough. I **need** your help. I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry that I can't **be** with you. But I want you to **trust** me. Even though it's the most sexist, ignorant, selfish, and sinfully arrogant thing I've ever done in my life... I have to ask you. I have to know. That as much as I'm willing to **give,** I'm willing to let you **go.** And I hope you can do the **same."**

I couldn't reply instantly. If that was the truth, then I needed time to formulate a proper response. But I felt like I already had one.

"Kirito... I can understand where you're coming from... but not entirely. This makes me question a lot of things, including you..." I trailed off. I made to leave. Then he sighed heavily and spoke again.

"I never told you about my family..."

It took a while for him to explain everything. From his childhood, to his sister, to his grandfather, to growing up with electronics, all the way to the present. I felt exhausted from the experience. Slowly, I regained my faith in him. But it would take much time to heal the wounds.

"So... that's pretty much it. I never meant to shelter so much... but... it just worked out that way..." he said regrettably.

"Asuna, I'd rather just give up and spend the rest of my days getting to know you. Wasting all my time away in your company. That's no lie. But I would hate myself for choosing the easy path. That would make me seem weak and afraid. Make no doubt, I am weak and afraid, but I mask it by pretending to be the best. That's my reason for everything. A lie is one of the most powerful tools in the world. I know that because of my entire life. I was too prideful to admit defeat, to accept help. By now, I'm forced to rely on other people, but you give me a little more hope. That maybe it's not all so bad. I need you, Asuna, to make all this work. You have to understand for all this to make sense... so I can tell my sister what I told you... that I'm sorry for not being perfect. For creating my own flaws and taking a path of downfall. It's just too much... so much I can't change it now... I have to keep living this way. I don't know what else to do... but I know I can't do everything. That's why... you're here, Asuna... that's why you're my... friend. My best friend..." he said painfully putting on a brave smile.

I had to persevere and do what was best. It would hurt, but after all this time, I understood him.

"Kirito-kun..." I said and he closed his eyes bracing for the impact. My visage finally broke into a smile.

"I forgive you... I believe in you, I always have. I was hoping you would open up, and you did. No matter how much it hurt, you pulled through for me. I'm sorry too... you only meant well. In your own, stupid, boyish ways..." I teased and he smiled tenderly. He held affectionate eyes and grasped my hand. I clasped my fingers around his.

"Asuna... I know I might not deserve it... but thanks. For everything..." he said emotionally.

"You're welcome. Idiot..." I quipped and he scoffed lightly. "But you're my idiot..." I added on sweetly and he smiled the most radiant one I had ever seen. He put his arm around me and I put mine around his. We stayed like that for a moment, enjoying our repaired 'friendship'.

He was much too close. I could see every tear glistening in his eyes...

He... no... we both leaned in ever so slowly, and melted into a deep kiss. I put my hands on his chest and pushed him down onto the bed. I felt his arms wrap around my waist securely and protectively. I knew that he and I couldn't be together right now, but for a while, I felt a little piece of heaven, granting me the feeling of peace forever.

**A/N God damn... I milked this chapter for the illest time. The longest one so far. 18k. There were quite a few changes from the original script. I intended for this chapter to end on a more bitter, ambiguous note, but hell. I've delayed this for so long, I decided to give you a 'little' fanservice. Don't say I never compensate. In any case, I hope you found that worth the wait. In case you're not patient, I'll spoil you a little bit for the next chapter. Black Cats of the Full Moon will be making their debut, so shut up, seriously (jk). I really intended to end this chapter differently, and not with Asuna but whatever. I will implement a little Kirito x harem throughout, but in the end it will be Asuna. If you like different pairings, or want to see what would happen if it wasn't Asuna, I will make a Kirito and Sinon fanfic sometime in the future. An entirely new story that abandons SAO as a game, but will still use it in a different form. Fun facts: I draw my inspiration from many popular franchises, series, etc. E.g. Frostbiter and Dragore Blade are basically from Infinity Blade. Even some of the dialogue or narration are actually scripts from other movies, books, shows, video games etc. Even song lyrics. I make this note to credit the original creators, and not to rip them off. You'll have to find the references yourself, and not all will be as obvious as others. I will also eventually go back and edit out mistakes from previous chapters when I have the time. Anyways, thank you for your time, whether you like reading this story or not. Please R & R~**


	10. Advent

**A/N Hi guys! I realize it's been a while since an update, I guess that might be the rate I'm going at. Regrettable, but I'm trying my hardest to balance out school, my friends, and everything else. I hope to pick up the speed if I can, but it'll depend on how much work I have. Anyways, thanks for all those who have read the entire story so far. I appreciate the mostly positive reception from you guys. Still, I'm going to address a few things. I don't want to go off on a tangent so let me summarize a response: I realize this fic is not perfect. I get it. I will try to hear out any valid points my readers have and I'll admit there have been some. Still, I did not write this story to tailor every one of your personal tastes. If you have a discrepancy with the story, that's fine. There are plenty of other stories to read if you don't like mine. That's all I have to say. Back to the story, how is it so far? Tell me in the reviews, if you would be kind enough, and I know everyone says it, but try to refrain from saying 'please update soon' or something around those lines. I know, I get it already. Including me, we all want it to get updated. I'd rather a fair, honest, polite review on how the story's going than something I hear every other update. An actual review helps me improve upon the story, whether I like hearing the criticism or not. Anyways, 4 chapters left until the next arc. Happy reading~**

I didn't get much sleep, but I felt better than I had in quite a long while. I awoke at about 5 almost 6 in the morning. The sun hadn't come up, but I felt sunlight illuminate the dark room from within. I slowly opened my eyes to a welcoming sight. I smiled slightly, but it was the most genuine one I had given in a long time.

Asuna.

She was still asleep, resting upon the left side of my chest with her hand pressed against my heart. Kawaii...

I didn't want to wake her, but I had to eventually. I still had much to do, and much to worry about. The catharsis earlier took it out of me and her. We kind of ran out of oxygen after a heated session of kissing but it was heartwarming. We fell asleep after wishing each other good night. Well... it would be a good night for one of us at least.

I continued wondering if it was the right choice to divulge everything I had been holding back. Now that Asuna knew everything, did it really make things better? I guess it did in a way, but I couldn't help thinking of bad scenarios and outcomes. Still, progress is progress.

I shook her shoulder gently. She woke up gradually from the arousal. I never took note closely, but she was very cute when she yawned.

"Morning, sunshine," I addressed affectionately. She gave me the most endearing smile which lit up my world. I would never forget that smile.

"Morning, Kirito-chan," she replied sweetly. I rolled my eyes lightheartedly, but smiled back.

"It's too early for teasing," I complained softly. She smirked at me playfully.

"Oh? Does that mean you surrender?" She quipped back smartly. I refrained from retorting.

"I'm not surrendering... I'm temporarily conceding," I declared defensively. She gave me a sympathetic look which I was partially annoyed with.

"Oh it's all a matter of semantics..." she said but nevertheless let the teasing die out. Thank god for that...

"Did you sleep well?" I asked politely. She nodded in reply.

"Better than I have in a while," she admitted truthfully.

"That's good," I responded accepting her statement. Then I tried to word my next sentence carefully.

"Listen. I know it's really soon but-"

"-You have to leave again. Taking care of business. Without... without risking my safety," Asuna supplied for me. There was no other way around it, so I nodded solemnly.

"I feel bad that we just made up and I have to go away immediately, but you understand. I'd much rather stay with you, but obligation comes first. I think we'd advance the frontlines further if we split up and work from separate ends. You're sub-commander of the highest-ranked guild. You have the most influence on the general public. I trust you can handle leading the people," I said honestly and she nodded hesitantly.

"What about you?" She asked concernedly. I brushed her hair back to organize it slightly. I stroked it fondly and let my gaze fall silent and serious.

"I'm going to be working with a... an associate. A trusted one. While I'm taking care of that, I'm going to try and unite the betas and non-betas together. Not in public of course, but I'll attempt to change peoples' minds on working as a whole unit. That's our best shot. It'll take time but, if I do it right, then it'll be worth it," I concluded my suggested endeavor. Asuna gave me an encouraging smile that relieved my discomfort and lightened my doubts.

"I think that's a noble plan," she said caressing my cheek. She stared intently into my eyes. "You've really grown... arrogant, but still you're much more mature than when I met you. I think my faith was well-placed," she confessed happily.

"I won't let you down, Asuna. I know what'll it take, and I can do it. Just... don't worry. It'll be alright... in the end. And when it's finished we can forget about all that..." I promised her dearly. I grasped her hands tightly with my own. "I know you'll find your own way, even when I'm not there. Deal?"

"Deal. Do what you have to, but be safe. I really do want you to stay..." Asuna professed openly. "But since you can't, hurry up and come back," she said with an expectant smile. I gave one in return.

"I will. There's no doubt about it. Because every time I stop and wonder, I'll be thinking about you. For now though, don't let those emotions get in the way. Remember your responsibility. That's what's best for us all," I stated sternly. She nodded in confirmation.

"I understand. I just hope it won't take too long..." she added wistfully. I squeezed her hand gently.

"Think of it this way. There's an amazing reward at the end of the rainbow," I hinted at encouragingly. She smiled and raised her eyebrows.

"Oh really? And what would that be?" She asked jokingly. I whispered something in her ear.

She blushed heavily and punched me lightly on the shoulder.

"Oh shut up... that's embarrassing..." she murmured shyly. I smirked at her playfully.

"Why not? I think you'd look **adorable,"** I offered cajolingly. She rolled her eyes.

"I don't cosplay..." She persisted refusing to yield.

"Asuna, if you cosplay for me, I'll make you the happiest girl in the world," I said seriously enough to make her face redden once again.

"What does that even mean?..." She voiced under her breath. I smirked.

"Whatever you _want_ it to mean..." I suggested and she shook her head flushed.

"Don't you have something to do? Something **productive,** perhaps?" She said trying to shake it off. I sighed openly but complied.

"Right. Well, I'm on my way then. Don't miss me too much," I added and she rolled her eyes lightheartedly.

"That won't be hard to do..." She remarked offhandedly. Ouch. That was kinda harsh... The Flash strikes again...

"Hey, Asuna?" I said as I got up and walked towards the door looking back over one last time before I set out. She returned my gaze purposefully.

"Yeah?" She asked inquisitively.

"I'm glad I got to meet you," I stated simply. She smiled beautifully and walked over to give me tender embrace which I returned with equal passion. I gave her a brief kiss on the lips. I held her around the waist and she held me around my neck.

"I'm glad too. Just for now though, business first. Right?" She asked me for confirmation. I nodded with a bittersweet smile.

"You're taking this very professionally. That's good. I trust you'll do what's right. I just hope I can do the same..." I mused quietly. She pulled me closer for one last hug.

"I know that you've made mistakes. I know you're afraid of responsibility, but you're not alone anymore. I'm here for you, like you always have been for me. I have faith that you'll do the right thing," Asuna ascertained me.

"Thank you... for everything," I expressed to her. She smiled lovingly.

"Same. Make me proud, Kirito-kun," she said and I nodded.

As soon as I left the house, I felt a sudden throbbing pain in my head.

_"Ahhh... what the hell?"_ I exclaimed surprised. I rubbed my head cautiously inspecting it. The pain was gone as soon as it came.

_It must've been stress... yeah, probably just from stress,_ I mused dismissively. I proceeded to head onto my destination.

* * *

I waited for awhile leaning against a tree. I could see the town of «Raptoria» in the distance. It wasn't long until he finally decided to show up.

He seemed to have a lot on his mind. I guess I couldn't blame him for that. But now was the moment I had been waiting for. I just hoped he gave the answer I was expecting.

As soon as he came into proximity I walked in front of his path. He stopped and gave me a nod of acknowledgement. We fell into line walking together in synchronization. I led our direction alongside the forest, partially sidetracking the main route. I broke the ice and started the conversation.

"So how are you?" I addressed politely asking for his condition.

"Fair enough, I suppose. What about you, Violet?" He asked in return.

"Busy. But I suppose most of us are. It's been rough, you know. I heard about the 25th floor..." I trailed off. His darkening expression revealed the pent up negativity inside. I didn't press further.

"Don't beat yourself up. You did what you could. No one has the right to blame you for trying..." I attempted to console him but it was difficult with his hardened expression.

"No. You're wrong. If I was really so righteous, I would've done something sooner. Even though you told me in advance, I still failed... I let that happen..." Kirito said dejectedly. His disgust against his own actions was so disregarding it made me cringe in pity.

"You know, no one expects you to be perfect. You can't predict everything that happens in life. When those types of things happen, you have to make a choice. I respect the fact that you have the resolve to do so. So chin up already," I conveyed hopefully to brighten his mood. This had little effect however as he resolutely kept a hard expression. I sighed.

"If you really feel so bad about blaming yourself, don't. If you want someone to blame, blame it on me. I let you know in advance after all..." I tried to convince him. He gave me a slightly appreciative glance.

"Thanks but no thanks. This is my fault for not being good enough. As Alpha, I should've taken responsibility sooner. I should've told everyone else about the 25th floor prior to the accident," he said like a Samaritan.

"And in the process draw suspicion to yourself..." I answered coldly. He grew silent and moody.

"I'm only telling you what would've happened... I mean, a beta-tester giving out that kind of information? Even if it proved helpful, they would question you further. More specifically, where you got your information from. Argo is the only accepted beta info broker. No offense, but I don't think everyone would be won over by your boyish charms alone. The wound's gotten too deep to heal. Your sacrifice back on the 1st floor was a misinterpreted gesture. You'd be surprised at how long people can hold a grudge. No, instead of appreciating your help, they would hate you for not doing everything for them," I voiced a little vehemently. I could see the message sinking into his head. Still, his countenance held guilt.

"You make a pretty good argument, but I can't just get over it like that. I have to make up for it somehow..." he argued back. I sighed at his denial.

"Kirito, people are just naturally selfish. No matter how much you give and give, it won't be enough. You made your choice back on the 1st floor. It is unlikely that they'll ever truly trust you. Your 'return' on the 25th floor more than solidified their reasons not to trust you. You, in a sense, betrayed them. I'm sorry, but in spite of everything you've done for them, eventually they will hate you. Nothing more, nothing less. People would hate to admit they were wrong about you."

He didn't say anything in response and mulled it over in a resentful silence. Finally he spoke.

"If what you say is true, then why are you helping me? There must be something in it for you, right? You wouldn't really help me out of the kindness of your heart if people are truly 'naturally selfish'. As matter of fact, it was **you,** wasn't it? Back on the 20th floor. Klein couldn't have the spine to carry out my plan, but **you** did. **You** toppled the building and made an opening for me to finish the boss. It was **you** who did it, but you **knew** I wouldn't have died. You knew I had «Mecha Exo» even though I never used it before then. All of this happened basically because of **you.** It's not just my fault for playing the fool, but also **you** for pulling the strings. Just who exactly **are you** and what do you **want?** I'm not taking no for an answer, because you haven't told me **shit,** so how can I trust you? For all I know, this is some elaborate scheme that you can profit from. If you want to prove otherwise, **THEN TELL ME THE TRUTH!"**

His exclamation was very audible and his expression was slightly daunting. I had braced for this outburst a while ago, and I didn't flinch at his accusations. They were justified and natural... as expected of a human. Even Alpha had his limits. I faced him with a cool visage and answered levelly.

"You're not completely wrong... but not entirely right either, Kirito. I have been distant and careful as to not slip up information. If you must know, it's for precautions. As much as you may not trust me, I can't completely trust you either unless you agree to our terms. On another note, you asked me what I wanted. Well... I can't actually tell you that now, but suffice it to say, it will aid us all in the future. As for your last question... about who I am. That's a bit personal. You might even hate me if I told you right now..."

"..." Was the only thing he said while giving me an impassive look.

"You still have your doubts, don't you..." I asked quietly. He narrowed his eyes calculative.

"I do... but you have a small chance to convince me otherwise," he replied levelly.

"I can't tell you everything right now... but I'll say this: You and I are much more similar than you think. Please, lend me your assistance, just for a while at least. I can't think of many that could or would help me. I asking you because... you're different from everyone else. There's something that makes me want to trust you... and that's because you feel..." I faltered a little at the end.

"Guilt," I voiced simply.

His expression changed and no longer held the hostile, distrustful gaze. He seemed to be a little more attentive now.

"Inside I... still recall certain memories. I feel guilty for what I've done, which is why I'm asking you to help me. I won't force you to, as a matter of fact, you're free to say no... I wouldn't blame you, but I thought that you would, well, at least hear me out..." I trailed off gradually. A few moments of silence ensued and the longer it persisted, the more unbearable it became.

"I don't know what to say... but I feel that..." Kirito said after regaining composure. I could read that expression on his face. He was going to say no. I grew desperate.

"Don't you want to see the end of this world?" I interrupted staring at him pointedly. He stopped in his tracks to think about what I had said.

"Of course I do, we **all **do..." he stated a little defensively.

"And don't you want to see Asuna in the real world as soon as possible?..." I inquired inquisitively. He looked away a little awkwardly.

"Of course I do... I mean," he went on a little bashfully but certain nonetheless. "I love her."

Inside I felt my heart break a little but I could accept his response. He and Asuna belonged to each other, and even if I could, I wouldn't want to get in the way. I hid my feelings and pressed on in a professional manner.

"I'll help you achieve that. I promise. As long as you help me, I'll give my utmost effort to assist you. So what do you say? Deal?" I asked while reaching out my right hand hopefully.

He seemed to ponder my offer for the longest time until he gave a response. Slowly he reached out with his own hand and shook mine.

"Deal... you promise to tell me everything afterwards?" He asked for confirmation. I nodded in return.

"I will. It's nice to be working with you, Kirito-kun," I stated politely. He replied in an equally formal manner.

"It's nice to meet and work with you too, Violet," he said a little grudgingly. As expected, of course, but I would gain his trust over time. The fact that I had managed to convince him to work with me was good enough. "Maybe we should turn over a new leaf and start fresh then."

"I'd like that," I replied courteously.

"So when do we start?" He asked.

"First, let's take care of the boss, then I'll fill you in for the first task I want you to help me with," I responded and he shook his head slightly in acknowledgement.

"Fair enough," he said passively.

"The meeting is in 3 days. The floor clearing will proceed right after. Better hit the ground running, Kirito," I advised him. He turned around and walked off.

"I expect you to hold up your end of the bargain," he called out over his shoulder.

"Do I ever disappoint?" I remarked humorously. He scoffed slightly and muttered something I couldn't hear.

_It'll take a long time,_ I mused to myself thoughtfully. _But if I do it right... yes it will._

* * *

This meeting would be my second. I intended to show up just for kicks seeing as the last meeting I had attended wasn't very informative. I watched from a darkened corner of the room. The main guilds were gathered around the table. I saw Asuna residing next to Heathcliff as his advisor and second-in-command. She seemed to be casting looks back every once and a while. It was all too obvious to whom. I kept my jealousy under wraps.

Kirito was shadowed by another dark corner. He seemed to be drifting in and out of attention. I admired the fact that he still showed up for these tedious proceedings. I would've ditched the instant I got the chance. Not just because it was dull but also because I had other more important tasks to take care of. Surveillance over general matters, and more importantly monitoring _them. _Fortunately so far, only one had broken out. With Kirito's help I could locate the target and suppress the chances of a random player encountering them. I couldn't think of what might happen if that came about.

The meeting was adjourned after an agonizing amount of time. I noticed Kirito and Asuna keeping a fair distance from each other, but still sending subtle, furtive looks.

_She really is that important to him..._ I thought quietly. It's too bad I couldn't be her. I would've liked for Kirito to look at me like that. But it was not meant to be, and I knew that better than anyone. I could wish for all it was worth, but a dream is all it would ever be. I reminded myself constantly that I wanted to help him only, and that was what I would do. I would push my emotions aside in order to carry out the objective. Besides, in the end, that would be the only thing worth doing.

Everyone marched towards the dungeon as the sun set. The gilded horizon looked beautiful. I kept my eyes veiled by my hood and pressed on. At least the scenic route would be one good thing about today.

Progress towards the boss room was quite a hassle. Bird-type enemies rained down upon us, forcing us to crane(no pun intended) our necks around keeping track of the enemy. It was dizzying work to fight off the opposition. Having the sky on your side was a tactical advantage. If it was any compensation, at least they couldn't excrete waste like pigeons often do.

With a combined effort of Kirito, myself and everyone else, we fought off the angry birds and made our way towards the boss room. There was still a smell of smoke in the air when I had used «Black Luster»'s ability to grill the remaining birds.

There were cages hanging down from the ceiling and littered bones of digested and regurgitated prey. This was an all-too obvious giveaway of what the boss must be. And due to my vigorous efforts sorting through files, I knew exactly what boss we would be fighting. I approached Kirito clandestinely.

"You ready for this?" I asked privately. He nodded slightly in response.

"It's nothing I can't handle," he replied in a controlled manner of voice tinted with slight arrogance. I smiled fondly at him in secret. He never failed to represent.

"You say that now... wait a few floors, then you'll take it back. Especially on the 50th floor..." I warned him softly. He gave me a curious look.

"Really now? What's so special about the 50th floor?" He inquired questioningly. I took a moment to formulate an acceptable response.

"Let's just say you'll need all the help you can get," I stated simply. He scoffed quietly to the side.

"I suppose that's why we're working together, then..." Kirito pointed out. I nodded my approval.

"You catch on quick," I said approvingly.

"Normally, **I **would be leading," he said a little defiantly.

"You'll get your chance soon enough... a home run can be achieved by a single effort. A victory is achieved by a **team** effort. Remember that there's no 'I' in team," I reminded Kirito to quell his pride. He of course gave a smart reply.

"Well there's no 'you' either... which means no one's on the damn team... it's a free-for-all. Always has been. In my view anyway..." he responded stubbornly. I sighed tiredly.

"Maybe you should see it through someone else's eyes..." I suggested politely in face of his semi-cynical beliefs.

"So what, you're saying I should form up a guild?" He questioned disbelievingly.

"I'm just saying working alone all the time may not win you everything... you may win the battle, but not the war," I pointed out reasonably.

"What if I prove you wrong?" He asked challengingly. I stared him in the eyes levelly.

"**If **you can prove me wrong, I won't criticize you anymore. As a matter of fact, you can then do whatever you want. Sound fair enough?" I offered to him and he nodded in acceptance.

"I expect an apology **when** I prove you wrong, then," he said haughtily. I smirked subtly.

"I will enjoy watching your valiant efforts in return," I replied teasingly and he rolled his eyes.

"Whatever..." he remarked sulkily. The doors were pushed open after Heathcliff's brief address to the crowd.

As we entered the boss room, we were met by a piercing screech from above. Everyone's attention was directed towards the huge sky cage hanging about ten stories above us. I showed no sign of surprise as I braced myself, tightening the grip on my sword handle. Kirito mirrored my actions.

A large flying entity flew down to meet us. It seemed to be a hybrid crossbreed between a dragon and a griffin. I didn't linger on my curiosity, and I wasn't going to ask how this monstrosity came about...

In any case, the boss's name was «Velocitor».

Tanks weren't much use here, since the opposition could just potentially fly around our defenses. The main concern was to avoid being caught in its talons. Even then, it was still difficult because it could breathe fire; not to mention we had a limited range of attack.

Kirito attempted to level the boss down with his darts, but the boss was a fast aerial-type, maneuvering past the shots effortlessly. So much for that. We needed a better plan. I glanced around and saw the obvious solution. Physics could assist me in grounding this nuisance.

"I have a plan if you're willing to listen," I proposed to Kirito while we all continued fighting off the boss from its numerous fly-by attacks. Unfortunately, a few players did get picked off, carried into the air and dropped from a devastating height. Talk about a bad landing...

"Depends on your plan," he remarked mockingly but gave a sign that he was listening.

"Use your «Rage Breaker» and center the effect on me. That'll launch me to an even elevation towards 'that'," I said pointing up. His eyes followed my direction and he realized my strategy.

"I see... you better hope this works," he cautioned me. I prepped myself for the jump.

"One question, though," he asked me as he readied his ring. I looked back at him.

"What would that be?" I replied curiously.

"Shouldn't **I** be the one going up?" Kirito said a little resentful. How childish.

"And hog all the glory? Just kidding. Well, I have the better sword," I pointed out patronizingly. He rolled his eyes but complied nonetheless.

"For now," he commented and hit the floor activating his ring. A crater opened in the floor and a stalagmite with a flattened platform rose below me. The acceleration of the lift and my jump raised me high enough to grasp onto the chain holding up the sky cage. Now I had to wait for the second phase of my plan to fall into place. It didn't take long knowing Kirito.

He managed to chuck a rock at its head to focus its attention on him. As soon as it fell into range of the overhanging shadow, I used «Black Luster»'s **DIE **ability and with 3 swings, I severed the chain supporting the metal cage as it dropped down below. In 3 seconds, the 'Congratulations' message appeared before me, signaling my victory with the Last Attack Bonus. I made note to inspect it later. I swung back and forth like a pendulum to gain enough momentum to reach the wall. I made a leap and with my sword in a reverse grip, stabbed it into the wall, sliding down roughly but carefully as sparks trailed my descent. I made a graceful backflip when I had lowered myself to a safe distance from the ground. I picked myself up quickly and scanned the dust.

The wreckage was quite a sight. The impact left an impression on the floor as though a giant had punched the ground. I saw a few surprised/shocked players but no serious injuries. I couldn't make out a certain figure, but I knew he was still alive.

_Quit being dramatic, Kirito,_ I thought slightly annoyed but amused all the same. As if in response to my thought, I heard rocks and pieces of metal shifting apart. They gave way and soon enough, Kirito stood up out of the dust, disheveled but unscathed. He walked towards me.

"That was a great plan," he complimented sarcastically. I rolled my eyes playing along.

"I know. That's why you almost died," I remarked humorously. He didn't smile back.

"Almost... you're going to have to try harder then," he quipped back but with a little less annoyance. I saw him glance over at Asuna. She passed by with her guild but gave him a disapproving look that was contradicted by her smile which showed that she was a little all too familiar with his antics. He smiled back slightly. I proceeded to give him a slight shove.

"Come on, lover boy, let's go," I said pouting just a bit.

"What's the hurry?" He asked a little surprised at me being so pushy.

"We're starting the first favor I need of you," I answered formally. He fell silent and wondered what I meant by that. As we headed to the next floor, I felt my head throb with a sudden pain.

_Ahh... another headache... it's getting worse... I need to hurry, before the next one shows up..._

* * *

Violet asked me to stay in town on the 27th floor until she came back. I had no problem waiting, but waiting always took longer when you actually paid attention to how long it was. I nearly fell asleep sitting down, so I decided to walk about.

For some reason, my head kept pulsating slightly. It was a sharp pain at first, but then it dulled. I received a random flash of memory depicting that impossible sight I saw back on the 26th floor.

_Coper... _I thought troubled. _But it's impossible... isn't it?_

There was no real logic that could explain what I saw. I wondered if it was just me going insane. Or maybe it was a side effect for staying in this game for so long. That idea sounded less than promising so I hoped my mind wasn't deteriorating as a byproduct.

After wandering around for a bit, I ran into a familiar acquaintance.

"Kirito-chan!" Called out a feminine voice as I was hugged tightly from behind. I was very conscious of my back being pressed against. I returned the greeting.

"Ashley-san, it's been a while. How are you?" I asked as we- or rather I walked while dragging Ashley on my back.

"I've been better," she admitted casually. "So I heard you sealed the deal with Asuna," she remarked blatantly. I started coughing suddenly and I felt my face heating up.

"WHAT?!" I exclaimed a little too loudly. I waited for clarification.

"Why are you so surprised? Did you not kiss Asuna?" Ashley asked confused. I sighed a breath of relief. Oh... that's what she had meant.

"Oh... you should be more clear next time... well... yeah... I guess I did. A few times..." I confessed as an afterthought. She smiled at me.

"That's so sweet... but sad at the same time..." she commented truthfully and I wondered why.

"How is it 'sad'?" I asked curiously.

"That means you and Asuna are exclusive now. Which also means you're off the market..." she pouted and I blushed a bit, flattered at her sentiments.

"Well, technically yes and no. We agreed to take responsibility in leading the frontlines and uniting the people. That way, we can all escape this place sooner," I elaborated.

"I see. Well, I'm proud that you're taking action and putting others ahead of yourself," Ashley said enraptured by my words. I smiled bashfully.

"Yeah... I never thought I'd actually consider doing that either..." I admitted honestly as she patted my head.

"Keep up the good work then. You're going places, I can tell," she encouraged me and I took her words to heart.

"Yeah... I really do miss it back home..." I told her and she snuggled closer to comfort me.

"Well, I have business to attend to, but it was nice running into you, Kirito-chan. Let's meet again soon," she said earnestly as she let me go. I nodded solemnly.

"Maybe," I replied as the most accurate answer I could muster.

"Close enough," she said as she waved me goodbye, walking away. I waved back and continued walking about. I wondered how everyone else was doing.

I hadn't really gotten the chance to talk with Klein recently, Argo had been busy with her clients, Agil was still aiding the middle-leveled players as subtly as he could, and everyone else seemed to be passing the days by normally as they could.

But I knew that was not true. There was a lot more going on than it seemed.

I heard rumors that Kibaou had been promoted in the Army ranks. I have no idea how, but I suspected illicit means. Moreover, news had spread of my 'return' and by now, the whispers had returned and the betas went into hiding. At least, they tried not to draw attention to themselves. Easier for them than me at least.

I stopped wandering around and sat on a stone bench. Everything around me seemed to slow down as I pondered my position in this world. Everything that happened so far had led up to here. The 27th floor's town was called «Ronbaru». It had a night elfish theme about it, appearing to be a festival lit up by the numerous orange lights. The structures seemed to be made of stone, and the alleys and stairs were criss-crossed with each other in a complicated manner. However, the intricacy added to its beauty. The town was carved into a mountain near a ravine and there was a pot roast fragrance in the air. The area lacked large buildings and infrastructures of the like. There were only a few shops, an inn, some private properties and the circular central plaza with the «Teleport Gate».

I fell into the silence of the atmosphere. There was so much that I still had to do. I wondered how my body in the real world was holding up. The few moments of silence I was given made me consider my situation very carefully. After evaluating, I realized something.

_What if I do die?_ I mused quietly.

It was not a pleasant thought, but the idea occurred to me quite a few times.

It could very well happen, as a matter of fact, it almost did a few times. I was just lucky enough not to. But then, what if I wasn't so lucky next time?

_Would I be prepared for what happens then? What about Asuna, Klein, Argo, and everyone else?_ I thought worriedly.

I didn't get much time to think out a plan as a hand tapped my shoulder. I turned around and saw Violet with a serious expression.

"We need to get a move on. I've found our target. But it's on the next floor. We have to clear it **now,"** she said so demandingly I was caught off guard. Was it really **that** important?

"What is it that's so important we have to go now? Can't we wait a while?" I asked surprised at her impatience. She gave me a dark look that clearly said, 'wrong answer'.

"If you're fine with risking everyone's safety, then sure. Let's go ahead and **wait,"** she spat out vehemently and I was hurt by her disregarding words. That was pretty harsh and I had not ever heard her speak like that so far.

"What do you mean risking everyone's safety? I would never risk Asuna's safety..." I argued defensively. She seemed slightly pained by those words but addressed me professionally nonetheless.

"Then let's go already. Do you want to beat this game or not?" She stated coldly and rushed off without another word. Girls are so hard to understand sometimes... but I gritted my teeth and followed.

"Shouldn't we bring backup?" I asked running after her. She didn't look around as she responded.

"Doubting yourself already? I thought you were going to prove me wrong," she called back mockingly. That little instigating comment riled me up and slight anger was incited from within.

"What's your problem, Violet?" I snapped back agitated at her lack of decent communication.

"Just shut up and quit questioning me if you want this to be over soon. Don't worry. This floor's boss won't be too tough. We just have to eliminate it from our path as soon as possible. Just keep up with me," she shot back rather rudely but I was not one to talk.

We cut our way through rather quickly and reached the boss room in record time. After we opened the door, the boss soon revealed itself. «Dark Elven Prancer» was its name. It was a ten-foot purple-skinned elf with devious red eyes and a snickering smile. He leapt about with mockingly easy bounds. It was rather annoying as he caught my darts and redirected them at me. With Violet's help, I managed to deflect all seven shots.

I wouldn't admit it, but we seemed to partner up well. Her precision and elegance matched my aggressiveness and intricacy. She was not as fast as Asuna but maybe she was holding back. With anger and frustration fueling me, and impatience and aggression fueling her, we finished off the boss with a deadly-coordinated dance of death. The boss whimpered as we struck with vengeance and ended its life with a final spinning slash. Not to begrudge her, but Violet managed to steal the LA Bonus by being slightly faster. Still, I admired her skill during our performance. She didn't even use her blade's special ability.

We connected the 28th floor to the recently opened 27th. It was the first time floors had been beaten back to back. The news would spread soon enough from the NPCs and the other players that it took only a pair of players to conquer a boss. A team of two was hardly what I would call an adequate attack force, but it worked. I supposed I could give Violet a little more trust than I had been giving. She had proven herself worthy to be my partner. Still... I wondered...

She didn't speak until we reached the 28th floor's main town. «Lunara» was the name. It was highly appropriate as I had a magnificent view of the moon. It was full tonight, and I could hear the distant howl of a wolf.

"Right. Now that we're here, we need to pinpoint its location," Violet said briskly and I was confused.

"Pinpoint?..." I asked and she explained further.

"With these," she said tossing me a stake-like object. It was metallic and heavy, giving off a silver shine and a slight yellow glow.

"What's this?" I questioned wonderingly, a little suspicious.

"A «Marker»," she said simply. I blinked.

"You mean that ancient alien artifact that killed everyone in Dead Space?" I inquired a little humorously to dispel the tension. She sighed but smiled a bit.

"Trust me, it won't kill you. I just need you to find the highest point possible and place this into the ground. The rest will take care of itself," she assured me. I glanced into the distance.

"That mountain over there looks pretty tall. Wait... you want me to climb **'that'?"** I inquired incredulously. She gave no change in expression.

"Yes. That shouldn't be too hard, so I trust you can handle it," she stated dryly. I was none too reassured by her comforting words of encouragement.

"Great... so what are you going to be doing?" I asked poutingly.

"I'm going to place the other marker to triangulate the position of the target," she said holding up a second stake glowing red. I sighed. At least I wasn't the only one doing the work. Wait a minute...

"Hang on. Don't you need three points to triangulate coordinates?" I questioned noting the discrepancy. She nodded in response and held out the other «Marker» glowing with a light blue tint.

"Tell you what. We'll do the last one together. Sound good?" Violet asked me and I grudgingly nodded. We split up and hurried in our respective directions. Once I got to the mountain, my hopes became downcast.

_What the fuck... I didn't plan on mountain climbing..._ I sighed out loud. _Too bad I'm not Bear Grylls..._

I started my slow ascension to the top. There were plenty of ledges to grab onto. My fingers dug into the rough rock and clenched at whatever I could hold onto. The distance down below increased as I got higher. I tried hard not to think about the fall. The air grew thinner and colder. I had been climbing for about 20 minutes. At least by now, I could see the top.

I received a jump-scare when I reached the top. I nearly fell off by grabbing a loose rock but fortunately I drove my «Shard of Midnight» into the mountain like an ice axe. Thankfully the mountain wasn't frozen, then I might've slipped.

_Well, _I mused slightly relieved. _At least this is the easy part._

I drove the «Marker» into the ground. It gave off a more definite glow, shining gold. I wondered how exactly they functioned...

I was about to message Violet, but then I realized I didn't have her on my friend list.

_What a poor lack of planning... how are we going to communicate?_ I thought late to the party realizing this.

Someone tapped me on my shoulder. Speak of the devil.

"How the **hell** did you get up here so quickly?" I asked her without a proper greeting. She smiled slightly at me. It looked more like a smirk though.

"Perhaps I'm more athletic than you are... maybe you should cut down on the sugar. Get some exercise, it might do you some good," she said sassily. I knew she was joking but it pissed me off anyway. I rolled my eyes and changed the topic to a different subject.

"Let's just do the last one already... I'm tired," I remarked impatiently and we set off. I followed her, trying to keep up the pace. I guess those legs weren't just for show...

We arrived at a moonlit open field. It was near the outskirts of town. By now I had mapped out most of the area. If I wasn't mistaken, besides the NPCs, we were the only people on this floor.

I glanced at the water reflecting the moonlight. Pretty. They shined just like Asuna's eyes.

"This is it," Violet said pulling out the final «Marker» glowing with a bright red. The crimson burned into my eyes and I shook it off.

"Ready?" She asked. I wrapped my hand around it and in the process I slightly came into contact with Violet's hand. It felt a little awkward but I ignored it.

"Ready," I responded and together we sunk the stake into the ground. Its color intensified into a deep candy apple red. It continued to glow and nothing else happened. How dramatic.

"So... what do we do now?" I asked her at a lost for words. She didn't respond immediately. Rather, she was inspecting her interface and her face grew more serious by the minute. Then she closed her menu screen and turned to me.

"We have to go **now.** There's not much time before it moves again," Violet commanded. Normally, I wouldn't take orders from anyone but I guess everyone including me had to make exceptions sometimes. We set off again in a renewed burst of speed.

"What exactly are we looking for?" I asked again while hurrying behind her.

"Just treat it as important. That's all you need to know for now," she called back. I sighed openly. How long was she going to keep me in the dark?

We arrived near a conglomerate of stone ruins and rocky hills. There was grass and gravel paths straying all about. I looked around and suddenly my head hurt again.

_Ahh... damn it, what is that? _I voice mentally. It was the 3rd time that this had happened. Conspicuously, for some reason, Violet also appeared to touch the side of her head, massaging her temple. I passed it off as a coincidence.

I resumed my surveillance, and there it was for a second time.

Coper.

But... not exactly. That figure looked just like him, and yet... there was something off. There was no life in his eyes, and he seemed to... flicker? There was something behind him, and I could hear this invisible scratching sound, almost like static...

What the hell was going on?

* * *

_Damn it,_ I thought worriedly. _I had hoped we wouldn't have to encounter this predicament... I guess we have no choice however..._

I glanced over at Kirito. It's not that I didn't trust his abilities, but I was worried about his safety. I'd have to play it carefully in order for both of us to make it back. I took a deep breath and addressed him.

"Come on, let's go," I said to him. He gave me an uncomfortable look, but his expression immediately hardened and he complied. I guess he still took my challenge seriously and was determined to prove me wrong. Typical Kirito...

We walked towards the 'discrepancy'. I'm sure he was seeing a sort apparition now, but it didn't worry me too much. It was just a fragment. A shadow. Deleted data if you will...

"You can back out now if you want," I jested at him lightly. He rolled his eyes in response and resolutely went forward. Admirable. And amusing at the same time.

"You wish," he said stubbornly.

"Before you go charging in, hold my hand. We have a better chance to survive that way," I pointed out. He came over and semi-grudgingly held my left hand. I was slightly elated but shook it off and pressed forward professionally. We journeyed into the unknown.

Well, unknown for him at least.

I remember the distorted images and twisted vision all too well. If we weren't holding hands, we might've gotten separated. A myriad of indistinct images streamed by us. I received several flashbacks from earlier times. I felt my heart clench tighter. The warmth of Kirito's hand was the only thing that kept me focused.

We arrived at our destination. But it wasn't that easy.

I found what I was looking for. As expected it was locked.

"Where the hell are we?..." Kirito wondered out loud. The surrounding area was an enclosure of an empty space marked only by streams of light flashing past. The singular color scheme of the 'room' varied like a lava lamp.

"This is called a «Void Space»," I elaborated and that was all I was going to say. Kirito read that from my expression and just accepted the answer.

"«Void Space»... that wasn't in the beta test..." He mused out loud. He gave a low whistle.

"Well, then, let's get what we came for then," he started walking towards the black box a short distance away.

"Kirito, wait-" I called out.

Too late.

He stepped on a wrong block on the ground and suddenly we were surrounded. Enemies spawned from everywhere of all kinds. They seemed to look more... digitized with square grids on their bodies. Nevertheless, they could deal real damage.

"Whoops... sorry," he said as an understatement. It was a little too late to apologize. I expected there would be some defense around 'it', though. I drew out my «Black Luster».

"We don't have time to waste around fighting these things. Get to the objective and break open the cube, I'll hold them off," I proposed and he nodded skipping past the enemies. They ran after him but I vanquished them with one fire wave. Subsequently after, a greater multiple of enemies replaced them. It was a never-ending fight. I engulfed a few dozen more in flames but the numbers continued to grow.

_Hurry up, Kirito..._ I thought desperately as the enemies closed in.

I heard the lock break. He was successful. Thank goodness.

"I got it!" He shouted out and I rushed to his side while keeping the enemy at bay.

"Then it's time to leave. Follow me, I'll get us to the exit," I said and we retreated with the enemy in tow.

We nearly made it to our destination. A slit in the wall revealed the «Wolf Plains» we traveled from earlier. Now it was time to depart. When suddenly...

"AHHHH!" Kirito exclaimed. I whipped my head around worriedly. I panicked.

A multitude of thorny roots had risen from the ground and tangled up Kirito. He was trapped and I rushed back. But suddenly he threw something at me. I caught it.

A silver sphere with an Ω symbol engraved in black within a grey circle.

"Just go! I'll catch up to you!" He shouted at me. But I refused to comply on an impulse.

"DON'T BE SO STUPID! I'm not letting you die!" I shouted back and ignited my «Black Luster» once again. My health was drained to 40%. 3 more minutes.

"You're one to talk!" He shouted back denoting the massive army behind him. I cut him loose from the roots and we fought tooth and nail against the oncoming onslaught.

But I was weakening.

Extended usage of a «Cursed Weapon» would do that sometimes. I was growing weary and drifting out of focus. With one last swing, I incinerated a path through the enemy and created a gateway back to the 28th floor. Then I collapsed, and I remembered nothing except Kirito shouting my name in the distance.

* * *

I felt a cool breeze meet me. It was a pleasant wind. I felt a dazzling light shine down upon me as well. I felt an inviting warmth, more precious than sunlight. It seemed too perfect, it must've been a dream. That's when I woke up.

The moon was still shining brightly in the distance. I was laying down on something soft. I felt a familiar presence near me.

"Welcome back," Kirito greeted me gently. I looked at him curiously. He seemed to be hiding something in his expression. Was that... concern? If it was, I was touched.

"Did you..." I asked and he held up the silver sphere. I smiled at him lightly.

"Yeah, I thought you'd get angry if I left it behind now, wouldn't you?" he joked casually. I smirked subtly.

"Pretty angry," I admitted but passed it off. I felt very appreciative towards his efforts.

"So..." He said not sure how to continue. I picked up the conversation for him.

"I guess we're even now. You know, seeing how you saved me..." I confessed and he smiled bashfully with a flushed face. It was very cute.

"Actually, I think I still owe you. I saved you once, you've saved me, like what, three times already?" He said truthfully. I smiled at him fondly.

"Twice. Don't forget your 'plan' back on the 10th floor... so now you just have to save me again once more, and then we'll be even," I reminded him. "For a while, at least..." I added in.

"Right... so you mind telling me what we almost died for just now?" He questioned a little brusquely.

"It's... very important to me. And it'll help in the future radically. Just trust me, please?" I asked with a tint of hopeful pleading in my voice. He nodded showing his grudging assent.

"If you say so... and... well, thanks for coming back... I... appreciate it..." he voiced out embarrassingly. I thought it was quite touching to hear coming from him.

"I didn't do it just because we're partners you know..." I trailed off mysteriously. He raised his eyebrows in question.

"Then why..." He tried to ask but I shook my head.

"It's... complicated. But you'll find out. One day..." I said quietly and we left it at that.

"I see..." he said and he didn't try to pry further. I guess he had a little bit of tact.

"I'll call you again when I find another one. Stay vigilant til then," I said to him and he nodded. He tossed the sphere to me. I held it tightly with affection.

"What about the «Markers»?" Kirito asked me.

"Oh those? Well..." I said planning to tease him.

"Would you be a doll and go fetch them for me? I feel utterly exhausted to do it myself..." I teased playfully. He gave me a dry expression.

"You're kidding..." he said remembering the strenuous mountain climb.

"Please, would you my dear darling?" I asked persuasively. He gave me a tired expression.

"..." Was the only thing he said. I smirked openly at him.

"I'm kidding. There's an easy part after all of this," I said and with a few swipes from my menu, I recalled all three «Markers» we had planted throughout the floor.

"I can't believe it took so long to position these things and how quick it is to clean up..." Kirito muttered disdainfully. I smiled sympathetically at him.

"If it's any compensation, I'm really glad you helped me today. You deliver well," I complimented and his countenance brightened slightly.

"I know I do," he said. "Tell me something I don't."

"You need to learn modesty," I quipped back and he shut up while giving me a dirty look.

"Whatever. I'm out," he said and started walking away. "Don't get yourself killed. Call me when you need me," he said as he disappeared.

_Oh Kirito... you never change,_ I thought fondly to myself.

* * *

To save time on tedious details, I'm gonna summarize the most important/interesting events that happened on the next four floors.

On the 28th floor, people had migrated over and the news had spread that the 27th floor was actually cleared by only a pair of players. Most people suspected it was me alongside some other person. I caught glimpses of slightly less hostile faces but I still heard the customary criticisms of my character. To be expected of course.

The 28th floor boss was a larger than average wolf named «Lupin». I wasn't really a cat person, but I wasn't really a dog person either, so I wasn't sure whether or not facing this boss was worse than «Catastrophe».

In any case, we had gone through the doors and encountered it almost immediately after stepping in.

To make matters worse, it brought along a pack that dragged a few of our players away. Unfortunate, but expected to happen.

Our numbers were roughly equal but the wolves had one advantage on most of us.

They held no fear. I could see it in their eyes. Only killing intent, which made them formidable predators. But I had the bigger bite.

I wasn't surprised after I had skewered a few wolves that the Alpha pounced on me and bit at my neck. It hurt like hell, but fortunately I was spared further pain from a certain 'acquaintance' of mine.

Violet violently vanquished the wolf with a vicious strike from the back. She offered me a hand to pull me up and I graciously accepted it.

"Thanks," I offered to her appreciatively but a little wounded in my pride. "But I could've taken it..." I added defensively.

"Right... we'd just have to wait another five years or so," she quipped back and I glared at her. She smirked and sashayed away. I didn't notice it, but Asuna was giving off a jealous expression.

The next floor was the 29th. In contrast with the previous floor, this floor was more daylight-themed. It was more of a dry climate but it had grassland and a decent town with furnished establishments of polished wood.

The boss on this floor was called The «Ash Sprite». True to its name, it had a spectral appearance. The arena was a slightly uneven rock floor with cracks in it. A unique ability I noted about this boss, was that it could teleport.

I'll admit it, it was frustrating to pin down this boss. We all spent a decent amount of time chasing it around, occasionally managing to hit it. In the process, it managed to jump around and stealthily attack a few players from behind like a black mist of death. The second ability it had was its acid breath which was a burning moisture when applied.

In the end, I managed to freeze it down with my «Icebreaker» and «Frostbiter» combo and Violet finished it off with **Dark Infernal Embers**. Chalk up four-in-a-row for her.

The 30th floor was considerably darker. The moon was a prominent feature on this floor, but instead it looked more malevolent than peaceful and calming.

There was red tinge in the sky hidden beneath the cerulean blue. Most of us resided in the main town, but I still had to get my training hours and make some profit. I went out in the field to farm for about 3 days. The dungeon was in the process of being discovered. In that time, I once again arranged a meeting with Argo.

As per usual, it was another bar called, 'The Milky Way'. Intriguing, most definitely. Not that I cared that much. I waited for about 15 minutes before she showed up after sending a message.

"Yo, it's been a while, Kii-bou," Argo greeted and I nodded my recognition. As a gentleman, I offered her a drink and attempted to sway her from getting something alcoholic. As you guess that failed genuinely.

After taking a generous dosage of alcoholic beverage, I asked her about any jobs around the market.

"Hmm... well, in that case, there is an order from a rather wealthy associate of mine for the rumored «Moonstones» located in the caves of this floor. He's willing to pay quite the price too..." Argo trailed off hinting rather heavily at the monetary rewards.

"How much for how many?" I asked tersely.

"Depends. But I'd say, quality over quantity... you know, size and weight. But having a couple dozen doesn't hurt either..." she left off suggestively. I smiled lightly at her more-than-obvious hints.

"I get it," I replied and wondered about how much I could make.

"If you can get those stones, I'll handle the transaction. We'll split it 50/50. Deal?" Argo asked me for confirmation. I nodded.

"It's a deal," I responded firmly. Argo took another draft from her drink.

"So how are you going to find them? There's not exactly any specific source of info... even my sources haven't gotten anything yet..." Argo pouted to me. I pondered this and came up with a solution rather quickly.

"I have an idea. There's someone I have in mind that can help me," I stated and Argo leaned in curious.

"Really now? You have friends? I mean, other friends?" Argo joked at me and I gave her a scornful look.

"You could say that..." I drifted off silently. She took this as confirmation.

"Whatever. I just care that you get the stones anyhow. It doesn't matter to me how you do it... just hurry up," she said casually and I stood to leave. At the door, Argo called out to me.

"Hey, Kirito?" She called out. She didn't usually call me by my name. At least, my nickname/gamer name. We both knew each others real names as well, it was just more convenient to go by our fashioned ones.

"Yeah?" I called back.

"Be careful," she said simply with genuine concern. I felt thankful for her sudden sentiments.

"I bet Asuna paid you to say that," I joked slightly and she pouted.

"You're so mean, Kii-bou. I actually meant that, you jerk... but seriously, take care of yourself. There are only so many times you can evade death. You might trip up one day, so be careful with your life. It's precious. I mean... if you died... I'd miss you..." Argo admitted bashfully. Something inside my heart reached out to her. It was rare to see her so worked up emotionally. That might've been the first time she expressed her gratitude and concern openly. It was that authentic.

"I'd miss you too. But I don't plan on dying. It'll be okay, I promise. Because I'll be the one who finishes this death game. I know it, for all things that are true, this will be so," I declared boldly and smiled at me.

"Then good luck," she said and I nodded my acknowledgement as I left.

"I make my own luck, but thanks," I replied shortly.

_Actually..._ I thought to myself ponderous.

_I might need some good luck..._ I confessed mentally.

_There's something wrong with this world..._

And with that thought, my head throbbed with a renewed pain that was just as quickly gone like the wind.

* * *

I stood at the bank of a large lake. There were several rivers streaming off from it. In addition I could make out a small island off of the coast and a delta formed from sediment deposits. The everest trees gave a calming yet foreboding look. The forest seemed pretty sketchy but I didn't worry too much.

That's when something caught my eye.

There was a sudden glint in the forest. Out of curiosity, I decided to take a look. Under normal circumstances this was a bad idea, but I was never one to conform with normal circumstances.

In a clearing planted right in the middle of a grass patch, was a set of jewels. I used my «Appraisal» skill to identify the items and calculate the price I could sell it for. Amethyst, opal, blue topaz, ruby, and sapphire. Quite the catch, I must say. And then-

A sudden drop from the sky.

I instinctively rolled out of the way while snatching up the gemstones in a small brown bag. I intended to sneak in and out like a thief but apparently someone else had their eyes on it as well.

I drew out my Knightsword, and I was met with an unwelcome reception.

"My, my. Your «Detection» could use a bit of work. Still, your natural reflexes are quite impressive. Hello again, **_Alpha,_"** called out a familiar Briton.

I swept my eyes around. He wasn't alone.

Out came two new figures I had never seen before. On impulse I shot all my darts at them. Unfortunately, they deflected each one of them with apparent ease. I suppose that was to be expected however...

"Come to kill me?" I asked while eyeing all three of them warily. I was surrounded by them in a triangular trap. Just my luck. The one time I try to be a kleptomaniac, it fails.

"Naturally, of course. You know what they say, 'If they can't join you, kill them.' Am I right?" White Death taunted me mockingly. His colleagues closed in on me. I don't think negotiations were possible this time around, so I prepared for a fight.

"I'd like to you to meet my fellow brethren: Red-Eyed XaXa and Johnny Black. You should feel honored, Alpha. We three personally volunteered to eliminate you," he elaborated. I was none too comforted by that statement.

"That's flattering... but at the same time, it seriously takes **three** of you to take me on? Pathetic..." I snapped back viciously.

All words were abandoned then.

A poisoned kunai was thrown at me from XaXa and I flicked my blade upright to deflect it. Then a second attack came from the left by White Death and in my haste, I diverted it with my left hand.

In the process, my «Gravity Binder», «Rage Breaker» and «Icebreaker» rings broke from the impact. I hissed my displeasure, surveying the shattered pieces. So much for durability...

Dismissing the regrettable loss of equipment, I countered an overhead strike from Johnny Black. XaXa rushed in with a right swing and I twirled back in a right 360° relinquishing the blade lock and following up with a spinning parry. I retreated back with a quickstep switching my posture, right foot back, left foot front.

I advanced with a diagonal left sweep from the ground, forcing White Death to sidestep to his left. I was immediately met by XaXa coming in with a diagonal lower right slash. I deflected it with a mirrored attack. The incoming force was enough to spark up the edges. I pushed against his sword to knock him back. I subsequently kicked him with a right foot to the abdomen, causing him to kneel over. I took advantage and rolled over his exposed back following up with a downward «Vertical» onto Black. The combined momentum and weight of my sword cut his shoulder slightly as he blocked it barely.

I sensed movement from behind. A second attack from the back came, and with a shortcut gesture, I drew out my «Anneal Blade» to counter it. I held one blade against Black and another against W. Death in reverse grip. XaXa recovered and rushed in with a renewed assault. I stepped on Black's left foot, broke off the blade lock against W. Death and with a right leg sweep, unbalanced Black, leaving him flat on his back. I made to cleave him with a double downward chop but two swipes from W. Death and XaXa forced me to execute a forward roll saving myself from a fatal hit, but allowing Black to regain his composure. Back to square one...

"Dual-wielding? You never fail to surprise me, Alpha... I've heard rumors of charlatans attempting this style, but you are the genuine article. A shame that you refused to join us, we could've used your talent..." White Death stated casually. I narrowed my eyes at him.

XaXa and Black came in with a coordinated attack. XaXa used the same method I did earlier and rolled over his partner's back following up with a downward slash I was forced to meet with cold steel. Another strike from the left required me to raise my «Anneal Blade» except-

_Ahhh... _I grunted mentally. _A feint... clever. _

The force of the unexpected kick nearly unbalanced me. But I kept my cool and repositioned myself accordingly. A trace of panic came across my thoughts. I was slipping up.

I charged while retracting my left arm to the right. Then I swung my arm back with a simple side swipe. It was countered by XaXa but then I knocked my right knee up displacing his right arm unexpectedly. Then I collided into him with my right shoulder, knocking him back. A right swing from Black forced me to duck and I spun a low sweep to the right forcing him to jump back. I countered both White Death and Black's blades by crossing my own in an X-shape.

Unfortunately, even with my strength, the force of the two of them combined shoved me back and I rolled over into a retreating stance. God damn synergy...

I was growing more agitated by the minute. And in the process, I started losing ground. In my frustration, I swung more aggressively, but my execution was sloppier, and there were more openings exposed. I managed to occasionally cut their legs and stab at their shoulders, but I received an equal amount of wounds. My health actually hit the yellow zone.

In a reckless attempt, I ran forward charging with a 360° clockwise spin with both swords in succession. I managed to break Black's «Cross Swipe» and the shards of blackened steel flew into the air as I inflicted a massive amount of damage from raking his chest with the sharp edges of my swords. In return, the second I tried to chain the attack and go for a combo, a dart struck my left hand and disarmed my «Anneal Blade». I dropped the heavy blade with a gasp of surprised pain. That's not the only thing.

I suddenly fell to my knees and dropped my Knightsword as well. Fuck.

_Paralysis._

I saw near the upper left corner of the screen, the «Paralyzed» symbol displayed next to my health bar. I could barely move, and with strained difficulty, I lifted my head to see White Death raising his «King's Knightsword» above my head.

"Game over, Alpha," he stated simply without any remorse. I looked at him without flinching. I could still move slightly. There was one last hope I was banking on.

Before he ended my life, I raised my right arm with difficulty and activated «Mecha Exo» for a split second. Taking advantage of the invincibility, I was able to catch his sword within my bare hand. He looked shocked as I started to rise slowly.

**_"Fuck. You."_**

Truer words were never spoken until now.

Suddenly, the paralysis status lifted. I heard an antidote crystal being applied from behind.

"Cure," a melodic voice said. I inwardly smiled.

Violet.

I took advantage of his shocked state and drew out my «Shard of Midnight». I stabbed him through the diaphragm, dropkicked him back, rolled over while pulling out the knife, and holding the sharp end of the weapon in my left hand, I threw it at XaXa hitting him near the right side of his chest. Meanwhile, Violet used her special ability **DIE** to inflict searing pain on Black with black fire. How ironic. But technically it was purple **and** black.

Violet and I stood side by side, shoulders barely touching. I recovered my Knightsword from the ground and sent the «Anneal Blade» to my inventory. XaXa ripped out the knife in his chest ruthlessly and tossed it aside. All three faced us head-on. This time, the odds were slightly more even.

"Are you alright?" Violet asked me with concern evident in her voice. I smiled slightly with appreciation for her worry.

"Better now that you're here. It's good you showed up when you did. Otherwise I wouldn't have an audience to watch me wipe the floor with these guys," I responded with arrogance but mixed with relief at her arrival.

"Of course. You **weren't** just getting the shit beat out of you," she quipped back teasingly and I rolled my eyes.

"Hey, it was not a curb stomp. For 3-on-1, I did pretty good," I retorted immediately defensive. She gave me a sympathetic look.

"I see... I suppose it sounds more glamorous when you put it like that," she stated casually and I gave her an annoyed look.

"Whatever. Are you going to help me or not?" I snapped back.

"If you say 'please', then maybe," Violet teased playfully. But nonetheless, we squared up to prepare an attack.

"Yeah, whatever. 'Please'. Satisfied?" I asked mockingly as I complied to her request. She smiled humorously.

"Very. Let's win this fight then," she said confidently.

Now that we had rendezvoused together, we managed to overwhelm them in about 3 minutes. Her graceful spins and twirls complemented my erratically prolonged chain of attacks. We regained ground quickly and had them on the run. With another shoulder tackle, I forced White Death back, panting heavily.

"Had enough?" I taunted sardonically even though I was out of breath as well. This was not my cleanest fight. He shot me a hateful look of scorn. Then an evil smile took residence on his facial expression.

"You think you're really all that, don't you? Let's test that, _**Alpha,**"_ he said and he nodded to his teammates. They grinned maliciously as well despite having to catch their breath from the exhausting fight. I narrowed my eyes. What was he planning?

Suddenly a smoke bomb was thrown, and my vision was obscured. I heard them teleporting away one by one. Before that, White Death called out to me challengingly.

"If you want to finish this, you'll have to _corner_ us first, _**Alpha. **_If you've got the **nerve,** of course... but since you're such a **bleeding heart,** you'll want to be **noble** now, won't you?" He spat out derisively spiteful before he teleported away.

_What does he mean by that?..._ I mused suspiciously in my head.

"We should chase after them," Violet advised me urgently. I rolled my eyes. Thank you, Captain Obvious.

"Yeah, I **know** that. But to where?" I inquired of her. She gave me a level expression disregarding my biting sarcasm.

"He said 'corner'. Check your map," she said slightly patronizing. I obliged anyway and opened up my map. Realization kicked in nearly on the spot.

The area of this floor was comprised mostly of smoothly curved borders. There was only one crudely-shaped 'corner' on this map near the bottom left edge. That was where we had to go.

* * *

It wasn't long before I encountered the Laughing Coffin members again. White Death was standing there in the pale moonlight. Like a white devil. His arms were crossed, and his black hood shrouded his eyes but I could see him smile malevolently.

"Ahh, you made it. I was starting to think you wouldn't show up," he addressed me affably as though we were friends.

"Cut the crap. Let's get this over with," I voiced aggressively at him. He unfolded his arms.

"Very well then, as you wish..." he said submitting too easily. Something was wrong here...

"...But are you sure?..." he added mysteriously. Here we go...

"What do you mean-" I asked but before I could finish my question, a scream from inside the cave behind him rung throughout the vicinity. The echoes carried back and died out momentarily. I grew silently angry and my blood started boiling.

_That is so cheap..._ I mused furiously.

"You shouldn't have done that... I might've spared you and let you go to jail instead... now you're asking for it," I spat venomously. He didn't quiver at my threat.

"As matter of fact, I **am** asking for it. So, _**Alpha,**_are you so noble as to save a few random, insignificant innocents, or are you going to be practical and face me and my brethren here and now? Choose wisely..." White Death said mockingly.

Had I never met Asuna or had any friends at all, had I had nothing to fight for and nothing to care about, then perhaps I would've chosen different. But I was... I was... still, I was...

Human.

If that were me, I would want someone to help me as well. I couldn't just leave things like this. Every life has value. I couldn't let innocent people pay with theirs for my mistakes...

"I'll find you again, White Death. And when I do, I want you to know I **called** your death. And it will be cold and merciless," I declared frigidly. He smirked at my response.

"It seems you've chosen unwisely. Still unwilling to make sacrifices... that's what makes you weak," he stated scornfully and snapped his fingers. Suddenly, a dozen hooded figures appeared from behind boulders.

_He set me up..._ I thought hatefully. _Bastard..._

I didn't have the time to fight all of them. By then, those people trapped in the cave would be dead, and I would have more blood on my hands.

"Kirito, just go. I'll hold them off until you get back," Violet said to me. I gave her a look of genuine concern.

"If you're asking me for permission to die, I won't allow it. Come with me," I ordered her and I forcibly grabbed her hand to drag her away. She shook me off defiantly.

"You still **owe** me. Trust me on this. I'll be alright, I promise. Now **go** already!" she said and she ignited her «Black Luster», engulfing it with violet swirling flames. I gritted my teeth and left her behind.

Thankfully, with a huge fire wave, she cleared a path for me in between the ranks of the Laughing Coffin members. I rushed pass them and headed to the source of the scream.

_I hope she was right..._ I thought to myself worriedly. I wouldn't admit it out loud, but I had grown kind of fond for Violet. After all, she had helped me multiple times, despite almost never giving me a straight answer, or rather, any answer at all. Still, I suppose I did consider her my... my...

Well, I guess the right word would be 'friend'...

* * *

I don't know how long I waited for him, but it was long enough that I grew tired fending off the Laughing Coffin members. I checked my health bar.

16% left...

I shot off several more waves of fire. It cut through the enemy forces like a lawnmower on grass. Still, there were thirteen of them and only one of me. I would hate to think what would happen should I lose... and I mean **worse** things than death...

A dart was aimed at me. I deflected it but then another hit me in the knee. It hurt, but at least it wasn't an arrow...

Paralysis.

With my last antidote crystal, I applied it to myself and stood up again.

6% left... this was **not** good. I considered using a teleport crystal, but I didn't want to abandon Kirito-kun...

With the last of my physical strength, I unleashed a massive meteor fireball that burnt up the ground. The opposition was sent back and several retreated via teleportation. I hoped it would be enough...

Another dart hit my left shoulder. I fell down ever so slowly. My vision blurred and I collapsed in exhaustion.

* * *

In my dreams, I saw a girl. She stood before me; skin like porcelain and a face like a doll. A simple white dress and silky black hair. Those grey eyes poured into mine and I felt sorrowful guilt.

Her expression was so hurt and face was empty of emotions except for pain, suffering and the like. I felt as though my heart was being torn out.

_"I'm so sorry... I- I- just couldn't go on like that... anymore... but you **still** do... and I'm so sorry..."_

No matter what I said, her features didn't change and she looked more lonely than ever. Trapped in place I had left her in...

Other girls started to appear, but their outlines were faint. Then they started disappearing when someone started shaking me...

...Quite literally, someone **was** shaking me.

"VIOLET!" Someone shouted at me roughly.

Well, it wasn't a shout, but this person was very close to me, so the whisper sounded like a shout.

"Kirito-kun?..." I voiced uncertainly. I saw a faint smile.

"You blacked out again... looks like I made it in time. You okay?" he asked me concernedly.

I was still laying on the ground, but he had wrapped his right arm around me to hold me up.

"What happened?... Did you... save them?" I questioned nervously. He confirmed my inquisition with a gentle smile and a light nod.

"Yeah. They're okay. Thanks to you of course... I hate to admit it, but if you weren't here, I couldn't have done anything..." Kirito confessed shamefully. I smiled and snuggled slightly in his arms.

"Looks like you've finally grown up. I like this modest side of you..." I teased him playfully and he shook his head while rolling his eyes.

"Whatever. And umm... they kind of invited me to celebrate... I thought it was kind of rude to refuse, so..." he trailed off embarrassed. I got the message and nodded my understanding.

"Go on. You deserve a break. Afterwards, maybe you should check on Asuna. I'm sure she's worried about you..." I stated softly. I managed to successfully mask my envious jealousy.

"I guess you're right... what about you though?..." he asked me still slightly worried. It was cute and endearing but I dismissed his regards politely.

"I have work to do. We'll meet up again soon enough. Go on, tiger. I'll be fine after a bit of rest," I assured him and he nodded his assent.

We parted ways after I recovered enough strength to stand. I caught him shooting me one last look back over his shoulder and I winked saucily causing him to turn around embarrassed.

I sighed openly. It had been a long night and quite eventful too. I just hoped the following days would be better.

A sudden pain throbbed in my head and just as quickly passed over. I needed to get back to work already...

* * *

"To Kirito! The man who saved our lives!" Everyone shouted.

We were on the 11th floor, in the town of «Taft». I sat there in the middle of the table awkwardly. I wasn't really up to being the center of attention right now. I could've really used a nice long night of sleep, but hey, what are you gonna do when there's a party in your favor...

"Ehh... right... to me..." I said embarrassed at everyone staring at me for my reaction.

The group of people I had just saved were a guild named, The Black Cats of the Full Moon.

It was a pretty small guild, comprised of only five members. The quick rundown was: Keita, the guild leader who wielded two-handed staves; Tetsuo, a mace-wielder who incidentally happened to be the only front line attacker on his team. To compensate, he also had a kite shield for protection. Sasamaru, a spear-user who provided support from the back; Ducker, the thief-class member of their group who was adept in detecting and disabling traps, along with finding loot and treasure chests. And finally, Sachi, the second support alongside Sasamaru; she had a small sword, a shield, and a staff. Apparently her role was multi-purpose depending on the situation.

"Don't be so shy, man! You're a hero! We so would've been wiped out without you!" said Sasamaru, the guy in the green. They raised their glasses to me and drank. I just barely took a sip.

"'Hero' is a strong term... I think that's what they call, 'helping'..." I muttered quietly. Normally I would've bragged but this wasn't the situation.

"Man, you're mad chill! And modest! You saved our hides and you just shoved it off like it was nothing! That's dope!" said an impressed Tetsuo, the guy dressed in purple.

"Trust me, I'm not always modest... and I've done riskier things..." I voiced barely audible. I just really wanted to get out of here as soon as possible...

"Really? Care to share?" Asked Ducker, the yellow-cloaked one enthusiastically. The grey beanie on his head emphasized his childish looks.

"It's too long a story..." I said dismissively.

"Guys, quit bombarding him with questions. It's rude. I'm sure he's still out of it, right?" Keita, the responsible looking one said. I barely nodded but that was enough of an answer.

"We're really glad you came and rescued us though. Thank you. Thank you so much," said Sachi, the only girl in the guild. Must be uncomfortable. Hmm... she looked too innocent to be a groupie... so I guessed it was alright.

"You're welcome... twice. I really didn't do much though, I just helped organize your battle formation..." I admitted quietly.

Previously, White Death had riled up multiple NPCs and lured them to these guys by having one of his members use «Howl». They escaped the cave afterwards, leaving there no one to take the aggression out on except for them. The Black Cats. Monster PKing was a cruel trap. Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time...

With the assistance of Violet, I managed to reach them in time to save them from certain peril. I slashed away at the fiend-like enemies and managed to reorganize them into an acceptable fighting formation. The rest was pretty easy from then on. I then was able to barely make it back in time to save Violet as well. For that, I was secretly thankful.

"Please accept our gratitude. If there is anything we could do to repay you..." Sachi trailed off. If I was really a messed-up pervert, I might've taken that out of context. However, being the mature character I am, I just dismissed it professionally like many things.

"There's no need. I just happened to be around... besides, I felt like I had to help anyhow..." I trailed off hiding the guilt. I put up a poker face of coolness and masked my true feelings. It was my fault... I would never get over the guilt had I made the other decision...

"Regardless, if there's ever a favor you need, we'll be there," Sachi said earnestly. I smiled sympathetically and waved it off.

"I'm really tired though... I should get going..." I stated formally and they rose to meet me.

"Oh come on, man, don't leave us like that..." Tetsuo said disappointed.

"Yeah, stay and teach us those cool moves you did back there," Sasamaru piped up.

"Come on guys, if he wants to leave that's his choice. We're in no position to pressure him into anything," Keita said reprimandingly for which I was thankful for.

"Right. I'll be on my way then. Out of curiosity, what **were** you doing in that cave anyway?" I asked slightly curious.

"We heard a rumor of rare treasure on the 30th floor. We just happened to stumble upon that place in particular while exploring," Answered Ducker with alacrity.

"Did you find it?" I asked wondering whether it was fruitful or not. I expected them to say no.

"Actually, yes. We did manage to get a good 5 bagfuls; one for each of us," Keita revealed holding up a bag from his inventory. A white glimmer shone and I identified the material as «Moonstones».

_You've **got** to kidding me..._ I thought incredulously. I couldn't believe this at all, but I didn't let it show on my face. _I can't believe they beat me there..._

"Wow... that's fortunate. Well, maybe when I go back, I can scavenge some. Thanks for the info," I said and I almost managed to leave except Sachi grabbed my hand while I tried to hurry away.

"Wait! Would you- like to have a bag?..." she asked me shyly trying to read my expression.

"I appreciate the offer, but I'm fine. I'd rather work for my earnings," I said politely refusing her offer. She persisted however.

"Well, from our perspective, you did earn it. You saved us after all. Wouldn't this save you the time and effort to head back there? Plus it's dangerous..." she argued worried for my well-being. I sighed. No point in arguing with a girl.

"Fine. If it'll satisfy you..." I complied grudgingly. She appeared to be happier for her eyes brightened. Oh don't give me that expression... it's too endearing. Everyone went back to merrymaking seeing as I decided to stay around a while longer.

"Psst. Kirito! I know it's rude to ask," Keita whispered. "But what's your level?"

I was very sensitive with my personal information so I came up with a lie.

"Ehh... somewhere in the twenties? The last I checked I think 26 or so..." I said feigning uncertainty.

"Ahh. I see. That's pretty impressive. You're not much different from us, then. It's amazing how you've been solo all this time..." Keita admitted to me. I just passed this over without a second thought.

"...So what do you say to joining our guild then?" He slipped in subtly.

THAT was out of the blue.

It took a lot of effort not to put on a patronizing look of disapproval and scoff mockingly at his suggestion. Join a guild? I'll do that when I die...

...Still. A part of me welcomed this idea. Perhaps if I did have a guild today, I wouldn't have nearly met death...

...But at the same time, that's more lives that would be under my responsibility, and I had to question if I could take that. Let alone if I could handle the loss if I failed.

I decided to settle on a midway answer.

"I'm not all up for teamwork or anything, but I can make a deal with you. I get half of the profit you made today, and in return I'll train you guys to be... more adequate..." I said struggling slightly in the search for the appropriate adjective. Keita looked definitely positive at this offer.

"It's a deal! You hear that guys? Kirito's gonna train us to be as good as the frontliners!" He exclaimed confidently. The rest of the group ate up his words and shouted their excitement and approval. They clapped me on my back several times and we decided to call it a night. I was going to stay at their rented rooms, just for today at least.

_"I wouldn't go THAT far with it..." _I muttered to myself heading towards my room.

_Rookies..._

* * *

I lied there for a while just thinking about the agreement I just made. Great. More work. Though I supposed it wasn't all bad.

As the honorary 'unofficial' member of their group, I saw a long road ahead in training them. I could never see them reaching my level for that would take years at best. But perhaps they could at least reach decent...

I would've pondered some more, but then there was knock at my door.

In the game, knocking first was the only way to communicate or hear a sound from the inside to the out. Of course, there was a «Listening» skill that allowed you to bypass this and eavesdrop... perhaps I would invest in it if it proved useful in the future. You never know. Blackmail and leaked info could be very helpful. Maybe I could even surpass Argo and give her a run for her money.

"Kirito? It's me, Sachi," said person answered at the door. Why on earth is she still up? I got out of bed to answer anyway. I walked silently towards the door in my black socks and black pajamas with a black turtleneck sweater. Yeah, it was really colorful. I have an amazingly diverse taste in fashion.

"Is everything alright?" I asked opening the door. She was in her pajamas as well. White with a blue trim. She wore white socks and in the moonlight, she seemed to glow faintly. Her black hair was also straight and pretty. Not that I cared...

"Yeah... it's just... do you have a moment to talk?..." She asked nervously. I nodded and we sat down on the bed.

"So... what's on your mind?" I asked awkwardly. I didn't usually have girls over in my room and when I did, it always started off uncomfortably.

"It's just... I may have given you the wrong impression back there..." She said quietly and my curiosity was slightly piqued.

"What do you mean?" I wondered out loud at her statement.

"I'm... I'm actually afraid..." she revealed slowly. "I'm afraid to die... here in this place..."

I fell silent and more than slightly surprised. Why was she telling me this?

"I see... it's not that I don't understand, but why are you telling me this? I'm just some guy you happened to meet today. Why not your friends who you've known much longer than me?" I questioned reasonably. My logic wasn't unjustified.

"I would... but they're... well, they're different from me. They're not afraid. As matter of fact, they live as though they won't die. I could never have that confidence. To be so sure... so hopeful... I just remember the fact that so many people have died already... and more will follow..." she trailed off depressingly.

I hated to agree, but I had to. Facts were facts. I couldn't change it. But at the same time, I fought those facts. And I refused to give in. I would never give up. There was too much to lose...

"You're right... I won't deny that. But you have to be brave. You have to be strong, Sachi. Just think about your friends. Think about your family back home... don't you want to see them? I mean... aren't they worth fighting for?" I asked her gently and she slowly nodded. But I could see sadness residing in her eyes.

"I know that... but... what if it happens? What if push comes to shove, and I'm the one who's being shoved? Or worse, my friends will follow, and there was nothing that could be done?..." she asked me desperately. I grew a little angry at her weakness, but I kept my cool.

"So it's okay to just give up? Hide away, while the frontliners risk their lives? NO, it's not. Sachi, I'm going to tell you something I don't usually tell anyone. My parents are dead. It was an accident I never found out about until I was ten years old. I was lucky to be so young at the time, it didn't really affect me. But it slowly grew on me. I never thought I'd get a chance to feel the happiness of having a real family again... but I did. I was adopted, and brought in by my aunt and uncle. And... I had a 'sister'. But she's really just my cousin. I don't know if she knows, but regardless, I loved her. Being trapped in this game for half a year now? I realize that if I stay here, hiding away, I'll never get to see her again. She's done more for me than I ever did. You know how I responded in thanks? I ran away... not literally, but figuratively. Mentally. Emotionally... I cut myself off from everyone, even my own 'sister', who I used to hold so dear... no that's not right, I still do hold her dear, I just never showed my appreciation for her enough..."

It was a long speech, but I was far from done. I was going to make my point.

"That's what got me thinking. What could I ever do to make up for my mistakes? I left behind the most important person I ever knew... you know why? Because I'm a lot like you, Sachi... I'm afraid..."

That confession was hard to admit, but I did it anyway. She looked confused.

"But- but- back then, you seemed so strong, so brave. You're who I look up to, you're who I'm depending on now... you can't possibly be afraid..." she protested but I quelled her presumptions.

"It's all a lie. Or at least, it's based off a lie. I'm not as great as you think I am. Despite how tough I seem, how strong I fight, how cold I treat people in general I realize something: I'm still human. I can feel just as sad, angry, frustrated, depressed, guilty, and afraid as anyone else. And that's what I hate. I wished I could be strong, but I'm not. That's why I distanced myself from my sister. Because since I owed her, that meant I was too weak to care for myself. I hated being a coward, but I hated being weak even more. That's all I am today. A fighter who doesn't really have strength. He just hides in plain sight, biding his time, counting his regrets... I thought it was over for me... it was a path I never thought I could walk back from... but I was wrong... and I'm glad for that."

She seemed surprised at my words and I elaborated.

"I've met people in this game. People I call my friends. Honestly, I don't think I deserve friends, but you know what, maybe it's a sign. Maybe it's not too late for me to turn my fate around, and do right this time. That's my reason to fight. I am afraid of dying, I'll admit it. But there's something worth dying for. I hope it doesn't come to that, but I could accept it if it did. Regardless, I do want to see the end of this world. I want to come back home, and see my sister. And when I do, I'm going to make her the happiest sister in the world. I'm going to tell everything I held back, and that is:"

I paused for a moment.

"I love you, Suguha. There's no life without you. You are my family, that'll never change. I think you about everyday, and I'm gonna make you proud some day. Because I'm proud to have you as my family. My sister."

I let that sink into the silence that followed. It was a while before anything was said.

"Kirito?..." Sachi addressed after a long minute or so.

"Yeah?..." I responded hoping I hadn't scared her off.

"I'm glad I met you today," she said simply and I felt lighter as though a weight was lifted from within.

"I..." I wasn't really sure how to respond.

"I've known my friends for years. We're in the same PC club at school. I thought all that was over, but you've given me hope. I think I'm a little less afraid now. I hope I can live up to your standards and become as brave and strong as you one day," she finished.

I felt flattered but I couldn't accept her praise.

"You make me sound much more glorified..." I whispered humorously. She smiled at me.

"Maybe you can't see it, but I do. There's more to you than meets the eye..." she said. How true that was...

"You're right..." I agreed silently.

_And maybe it's best you don't find out everything..._ I thought darkly to myself. An image of murder flashed through my mind, followed by a sudden throbbing pain that quickly dissipated as soon as it had appeared. What was that, what did it mean?...

"Hey, Kirito? Can I sleep in here with you tonight? I feel safer that way..." Sachi asked me. I had no qualms about this, so I agreed.

"Right. It's pretty late. Goodnight then, Sachi," I said bidding her to sleep.

"Goodnight Kirito-kun," she said quietly.

Then as I fell asleep, she muttered something else I couldn't hear.

_"I think I... I think I love you..._

* * *

The 30th floor was cleared after spending 6 days on it. I of course participated in both the meeting and the battle. Relatively, in terms of difficulty, it was a fair fight. The boss was a 15-foot deity named «Wolfic Night». An armor-clad warrior armed with a lengthy spear. However, Violet had no trouble in burning him to a crisp with her «Black Luster». Damn that sword was overpowered...

The 31st floor was relatively airy. There were wide open spaces and mountains stretching as far as you could see. Quite majestic. There were lakes, rivers and forests. The overall feel was tranquil and soothing.

That floor's boss turned out to be a huge giant called «The Pioneer». It wasn't a particularly difficult fight seeing as its speed was quite slow. Aside from the that, the only threat was its huge range of attack. What really shook us up was its mini-earthquake attack. Yes, that was a bad pun. Deal with it.

In the end, Violet set the arena on fire since it we were enclosed by wood. A particularly large piece of burning timber fell and squashed the giant beneath. I would never say this out loud, but Violet was on an impressive killing streak.

Finally we reached the 32nd floor. Almost a third of the way through. It was April of 2023. Six months since this game started. I don't know whether I should be happy or not, but I pressed on anyway. Things would never change if I didn't.

The 32nd floor was was quite hilly. It was an uneven landscape mostly and was difficult to navigate through. Still, at least the hills don't have eyes here...

I sat down in a bar with my 'teammates'. I would say guild members but I had a thing against that. Today, I would propose something I held back. Perhaps it would seem like I was just using them, but it was better for everyone, even if the Black Cats took some heat.

"So, Kirito. What did you want to talk to us about?" Keita asked me politely. I took a deep breath.

"Would you help me unite the betas with the other players?"

**A/N And done. Once again, I'm sorry it took so long to post a chapter. But hey, tenth grade is at my door 24/7. I have homework that I should be doing... that I _am_ doing right now... Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Maybe it wasn't as good as the last chapter but that's alright. 17k, that's not bad. If it's any compensation, all chapters from now on will be at least 10,000 words. 3 more chapters until the next arc. Then it gets really good. You'll know why I named this fic, 'Alpha, Not Beta' then. In any case, thank you to all those who have read the entire thing so far, regardless of opinion. It also couldn't hurt if you left a polite review. ^_^ See you guys for now. Please R & R~**


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